Heart of Steel Chapter 5 now up!
by Nemesi
Summary: [DISCONTINUED] A dying world...a boy hibernating in an ancient ruin...a boy with tremendous powers raised by a human boy that calls him brother...Ken's confused...Dai loves him, while many loves him...Yamato's lost...and as Osamu admitted, what happened i
1. Chapter 1

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**A/N = I suppose that at this point is blatantly obvious that I love AU, Daisuke, Daiken/Kensuke, Daikeru, the theory that no one in their right state of mind could not like Dai, and to torture our beloved goggle boy *sweatdrops* This is a mix of all the things above, plus add in my liking for fics with lots of couples =)**

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**A/N 2= This doesn't take place on Earth, nor in the Digitalworld. Actually, this fic takes place in a world that's an odd mix of the two, where digimon, humans, magic and ancient technology sort of coexist. Osamu's alive and evil, =pure= evil. Ken isn't. **

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**… … … … … …. … …evil I mean, put down the weapons. And he rebels against his own brother as he takes his plans to dominate the world a step too far… **

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**A/N 3 = You may find resemblance with the RPG wild ARMs (I shamelessly admit that I tried to remember what Zepet's diary said to write what the "researcher"'s diary says…) and Final Fantasy VII (when it comes down to the dying world, the Tear Orbs and the Tear Orbs factories). **

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**A/N 4 (LAST ONE I SWEAR!) = I had to change the ages. So now Dai, Ken, Miya, Hikari and Takeru are 13, while Iori's 10. Osamu, Tai, Yamato, Sora and Mimi are 22. Jyou's 23. If other original characters from the TV show will be used is still past me, but in case you'll find a note about their current age in this space. *bows*Sorry if this can be a tad confusing… ^^;; **

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**Couples = *rolls up sleeves* Osato, Daiken, Takedai, Taisuke, Hikasuke, …Let's just say that everyone luvs Dai. Miyakari, Iokeru or Angekeru (I'm not sure. Any preference?) and… dunno. We're talking mostly about hints and that kind of stuff here, anyway ^^;; **

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**Warning = PG-13 for fighting scenes and relative blood and mild-violence. **

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_Heart of Steel _

**~*~ 15th December 34XX~*~ **

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_I don't know how important this will be for our researches about magic and studies of ancient remains, but today, in a sealed ruin, my father's team found the sparkle of a little life trying to hibernate. It's amazing the enormous energy this little bundle carried. Such an enormous power… but it was surely not hostile, and that's what permitted me to follow the main team during the exploration. _

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_When we first explored the ruins, after detecting such high level of power, me and my companions were expecting to find ourselves face to face with a machinery, or –as the most pessimist of us kept suggesting- deep buried within the earth could be nothing else but a mutated monster. The only thing I'm sure of is that we weren't expecting what we found. _

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_After moving down a long series of winding passageways, we entered a dimly lighted hall. As we first stepped inside, one of us, whose identity still has to be discovered, touched something, activating some hidden mechanisms. A secret engine pulled on the ropes and cables tangling above our heads and connected to a crystal coffin in the middle of the room. We watched in awe as the cage of glass was opened and… what was inside it reactivated, or awoken, struggling to get out in a cloud of streaming vapour. _

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_I remember clearly rushing toward the coffin as the steam rose until its vapours disappeared from sight. Something had been calling me there. Something afterwards I realized to be a child's cry. Because that's what I was gripping to my chest when I came out from the fog. _

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_An infant._

**~*~ 20th April 34XX~*~**

_The little life we found in the ruin is surely a result of the battle of the One Thousand Years, the one that decided the countries' borders and confines as we know them. _

_This boy is from the time of legends. From the realm of mist. From the ancient times when scientists stepped in the realm of Gods… _

_He uses the forbidden powers as they were toys. What people of centuries ago wanted from this little boy? Why gift the innocents with the power of killing? _

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_The realm of Gods… we should have never tread…_

**~*~ 20th January 34XX~*~ **

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_This human-looking child is growing up among us. Surprisingly, this child knows what pain is, although he's surely been designed to be a weapon. If he can learn pain, then I'm sure he can learn love as well. Compassion. Kindness. He can be taught the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. I plan to teach him the difference myself, for I find myself communicating with this weapon child as if I'm his relative. Yes, this child, despite the reasons and circumstances of his birth, is more human that anybody else I know. That's why I came to a decision. _

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_From this day forward, this boy will be my brother. _

_His name will be… _

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**~*~ Hikari's POV~*~**_ _

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"Damn them!" I shriek as Nefertimon dodges another one of the blasts showering on us from the dozens of digimon chasing our little retreating group. "They're still giving chase…" I whine. "We've entered Willow territory, and they still don't give up!!" I scream, burying my face in the snowy fur of the digiwomon's neck.

We sneaked into the Slayelth Empire territories, in the southern hemisphere of our world, due to a letter my brother Taichi received few days ago. None of us know what was written on that letter. The only thing we know is that our leader crumbled it and tossed it into the fire place, before announce that he would have --- "Look out, Nefertimon!!!" pheeeeew… ---would have guided us out to Axia's Castle -the residence of the Emperor- to find someone and bring them with us. What neither of us was expecting was that Daisuke would lock Taichi inside his room and take command of the mission in his place. In truth, I expected Dai to do something like that to prevent Taichi from expose himself to the risk but… now we've lost Dai. He is in the castle, somewhere, searching for this someone none of us knows.

This world, Gaia, under the protection of the four Guardianmon who guard the cardinal points and govern the elements, used to be a Paradise covered with green fields and lush woods. However, as a result of the war of One Thousand years, most of the grasslands as been reduced to wastelands.

Legends say that, to end the conflict, some scientists lead by a certain Yukio Oikawa committed a sin in the eyes of God, and the fury of the Guardmon came to punish them. No one know what such sin was, but they did perpetuate the memory of the punishment. They say the trembling earth opened in two, erupting flames that scorched the heavens; whirlwinds ragged the continents and waves high enough to brush the sky inundated them. Mankind and monkind survived somehow, and now, after one thousand year, people have built a new civilization on the wastelands. Woods are back to cover the earth and Oceans and lakes aren't just a vague remembrance anymore.

On this, the largest continent of Gaia, a war has been raging between two countries for the past centuries. In the southwest of the continent lies the Slayhelth Empire. In the northeast lies the free country of Elenyak where our hometown, Aria, is.

The war has gone on for so long that the people have forgotten the cause, knowing only the tremendous pain and rage it brings. But its circle of warfare encountered a devastating change when Osamu Ichijoiji ascended to the throne at the tender age of 11. He began using the tools and weapons excavated from the ruins in order to increase Slayelth's military power and also encaged his own brother inside the castle. The various weapons excavated from the ruins greatly changed the form of warfare, since these weapons seems to work sucking dry our Planet's vital energy.

Take the Tear Orbs for example. Little spheres which have the power of the six elements within themselves. They spring spontaneously out of the ground, blossom from plants or condense from thin air or water. Once used they dissolve, sometimes giving birth to another Orb. They're drops of this Planet's blood, and we haven't had the certainty that –once used- they'd join again this Planet's spirit for many years. Now we know their energy =does= come back to the Planet eventually, but this process is very, very slow. Then again what's really terrible is that Emperor Osamu has been building up factories of Orbs and weapons that suck this world's energy at a rate Gaia can't keep for too long.

This world's dying. And we- the Rebels- are fighting to prevent such terrible fate from happening.

This is where it all begins.

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**~*~ Dai's POV~*~ **

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****"Let's get this over with…" I mutter to myself, getting rid of the Slayhelth uniform a… bystander soldier has so kindly lend to me. I chuckle to my self, throwing away the helmet that's smoothening my hair. Here it goes my hair stile, I think, putting out a frown. Oh well…

With a shrug I begin exploring the castle, hoping with all my mind Taichi won't hurt me =too much= once I come back. I don't think it's pretty to be mock-seduced by one of the people you trust and care for the most only to end up locked inside your bathroom with only your pants on. Err… thinking about it I just hope he won't =kill= me.

I sustain to walk, my back pressed against the cold, slightly wet rock wall, slowly heading upstairs. The corridors are dark, save for the candles standing upon large candelabras bordering the path. I got Taichi into telling me who I've to meet has a some sort of charm on, so that I can recognize them. Problem is, I've no idea how this charm looks like…

I slow down my pace as I reach upstairs, licking my lips as I round a corner… only to be introduced to the most breathtaking pair of eyes I've ever seen in my life. I reel back slightly, the breath getting caught in my throat. My whole vision is filled with shining purple, for the eyes that seems to bore into mine are huge and shiny, brighter than amethysts and deeper than the night sky. And truly, I have to swallow several times before my mind reconnects with reality.

My knees are getting week as we just stare at each other, and I fear I'm trembling slightly. Slowly, I crane my neck, bending slightly forward to catch a glimpse of the face where such unforgettable eyes are set. A face I can only imagine to be beautiful, hidden under the violet cloak this angel wears.

What seems to be a boy about my age brushes a silky tendril of dark hair out of his face and swallows, fidgeting madly. "Could you… could you please let me pass?" he asks shyly, holding closer the little bundle he carries. I shake my head with a grin, eliciting a soft gasp from him.

"You're too beautiful to let you go like this." I… that was =me=?! Oh my… I must have gone crazy, talking to someone or, to be more accurate, to a stranger, like that… "Tell me who you are first…" I whisper softly, my Ladies man instinct kicking into action. Or better yet, my **boys** man instinct.

He shakes his head frantically, hugging the bundle even closer, almost as if scared, but the aura of nobility that seems to enclose him doesn't waver in the slightest. His shoulders are thrown slightly back. Despite his shyness, his chin is raised proudly. His chest moves slowly and rhythmically, as if moving it quicker could somehow disturb this feeling of nobility he has. Then, he stops his head, blinking his huge amethyst eyes at me, making my knees buckle… Damn, where's Ladies Man Dai when you need him?!

"Ach'ra Thras?" he whispers in an exhalation, wide-eyes blinking quickly, mouth the slightest bit dry. And I'm abruptly driven out my dreamland of violet eyes and dark hair.

"Uh?"

"Arhalma thrat. Seeyujiu kreenoos-ne." A smile finds his way over his lips and soon he's smiling broadly at me, giving me that kind of smile that makes my body turn into jelly. "Ken jobu seenjo ne. Vee-pa suriyokr." 

"What?" He giggles, and not caring for how mushy this can sound, I swear my Angel's voice is just like his eyes: sweet and soft… divine…

"I'm Ken…" he says, tipping his head to a side. "And I think you are the one I've been waiting for." I cast a glimpse at the charm hanging around his neck, and suddenly understand, but this is too much of a good chance to throw it away like that.

"Really?" I reach out to slid off his hood, revealing a painfully beautiful pale face. "I knew you were the one I've been dreaming all my life, too…" He blushes, retreating one step backward, and I can't help but grin at both my boldness and his shyness.

A stray tendril of silk falls loose on his shoulders and my hand is in it as I realize I'm moving closer to him also. Our lips slowly floats closer until they're millimetres away from each other. He somehow feels…right, in my arms. Perfect. Yeah, I may feel flirty whenever I am around pretty girls… and boys, in Aria, but mostly because no one in my hometown seems not to have fallen head-over-heels for me. Of course, I love them all, but because they're my family. But… Ken… Ken feels… different… not because for the first time someone's shyly resisting me, but because… it feels like I've been created only to meet him. To hold him… to… touch him. To feel his bare skin against mine… to tangle my legs around his…to—

Since Lady Luck really seems to dislike me when it comes down to romance, a guard comes running toward us, bare teeth and killer eyes. A part of me thanks him silently for snapping me out of such thoughts. I've never thought about =that= before. Not even with Hikari… not even with Takeru… then why does Ken… 

"Senhytle-pa!!" The soldier rages. "Ken to seriuu ashtalmas siich!!" 

"Yeah dude, whatever." I shot back, grabbing Ken's wrist and dragging him downstairs. "Motomiya Daisuke." I shout to him. And then after a minute of hesitation I add, "Or better, Dai," while dashing downstairs madly. "TAKERU!!!" I yell, looking around frantically. When, after dozens of calls, he doesn't reply, I throw my head backward, yelling at the top of my lungs. "TAKE-CHAAAAAAAN!!!! You specialized kind of idiot, where =are= you?!?!?!?!" 

"At your service, my beloved." I stare at him for a moment as he literally appears at my side from thin air. 

"What do we do, =now=?!" 

"We finally have our first time, since we're about to die?" I glare at the blonde now running next to me, wondering how he could joke at a moment like this. 

"TAKERU!!" I yell, and sense Ken trying to struggle free from my grip. Not questioning why, I yank the amethyst eyed boy toward me, holding him close to my chest as we keep running. 

My blonde companion gives his shoulders a shrug as we walk past a window and leaps, two-footed, over the metal railing that acts as a barrier between us and ocean below. He looks at me over his shoulders, and with a mute kissing motion, jumps down.

"…shit…" I murmur, climbing on the rail, and carefully tugging Ken up with me. He's squirming openly now, and he would start shouting if he didn't knew that would summon more guards. I wonder what's wrong for a moment, but don't let his arms go. We just stand here, looking into the dark, blue oblivion below us. Then, he roughly frees himself from my grip.

"You're suicidal." He hisses callously, and I stumble backward for the coldness in his voice. What…?

"Ken?!"

He slaps the hand I'm tentatively raising toward him, his eyes burning a hole in my face. "Don't. You. Dare. To touch. Me."

A grunt escapes him, and he rubs his hands actively against his arms. The heel of his left boot slides down the edge of the rail, and he wavers for a moment, then takes a last, venomous, look at me before jumping down, pushed by the voices of the guards coming quickly closer. With a blank stare, I look as he land perfectly on Pegasosmon's back. Takeru waves at me, grinning openly, but for a moment I can't move.

Ken… seemed… disgusted, when I touched him.

Disgusted. Repulsed. Horrified…

…by …me?

**~*~ Takeru's POV~*~ **

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****"Aw, SHIT!!" Daisuke yells when the fire breaks out in the castle. The soldiers must be throwing Red Tear Orbs at him. _A very =huge= amount of those_, I observe cynically. My tan skinned companion leaps from the window, and then lands on one knee on my digimon's back. Don't ask me how he did it. He simply did.

He has been lucky, though. He got out before a beam fell in front of the window, blocking off the only way out. The purple haired boy glares at my Dai venomously, and I blink first at him and then at Daisuke. He seems to be lost in thought, a look of hurt crossing his fine features. I open my mouth, intending to ask him what's wrong, but he shakes his head at me pleadingly. I comply the mute plea, closing my mouth and nodding back at him, unable to stop my mind from wondering what could have happened since we split up to search the castle.

At my side, the purple haired boy begins to shiver, and I don't understand why until I lift my gaze to see billionths of Blue Orbs showering upon us.

Ice Orbs.

This means… I can't even end my thought that the rage of a storm hits us. Snow lashes our skin. Cold wind bites our flesh. Ice scratches it, clinging to our hair and clothes, our vision blurred by pouring water.

"The wood!" Daisuke yells, gripping my shoulder. "To the west!"

"All right!!" I shout back, digging my heels in Pegasosmon's sides, urging my steed into a light gallop, and resting my face on his soft furry neck to shield my face from the storm's rage. And soon enough, the snow and the wind aren't the only things whipping our skin.

Arrows.

Thousands of arrows are raining upon us.

The winds tosses Pegasosmon around like a rag doll trapped in a washing machine. Behind me, I hear Daisuke gasp and call out a name I soon understand to be the purple haired boy's. Ken.

I look at them over my shoulder, eyes squinted in the wind. Ken's collapsed on Daisuke's shoulder. There's an arrow in Ken's side, and several others are in Daisuke's shoulders, who obviously shielded Ken with his body. I widen my eyes in mute horror, reaching out behind me to touch Daisuke's arm, but he shrugs my hand away, shacking Ken frantically, rubbing his hands over his sides to warm him up. But the last thing the purple haired =jerk= says before losing consciousness is, "Don't… touch… me."

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By the time the storm ends, we're in the middle of nowhere and carrying an half-dead boy with us. When I finally move away from my digimon's neck, the sun is just coming down on the horizon, brushes of mauve and deep orange running through the velvet sky for some added effect. Exhausted, Pegasosmon lands into a snowbank to catch his breath, his huge wings wavering around his body. As he walks, I turn around on his back to look at Daisuke and Ken, still gripping to each other even through sleep.

I reach out to shake them awake, knowing all too well how dangerous it is to sleep in such a cold place, while my digimon slowly approaches a snowy hill and starts to ascend it. When he reaches the top, I take a look at the half-frozen territory around us. Few meters above and below us the snow disappears, to make room to a green clearing. An half-frozen stream gurgles at my side, and the trees ahead of us whisper in the breeze. Pegasosmon draws in a deep breath, the cold air striking the insides of his mouth and nose. Grimacing to himself, he starts his way down the incline, taking care to avoid the rocks that surface from time to time through the snow and the crannies hiding underneath the white blanket, making the walk downward treacherous.

My digimon's legs quivers under Daisuke, Ken and my weight, a grunt escaping him. Suddenly, quivering a little, Pegasosmon throws his head to a side in exhaustion, eyes closed. He wavers for a moment, then lowers his head,his hoofs skidding violently. For a split second, when he raises his head again, I think he has saved us a tumble down the hillside, but then his ankles sprain underneath him and send us rolling downhill.

A series of screeches and muttered curses erupts from my mouth as I fall, smashing parts of my anatomy I didn't even knew I had against the now bare ground, bumping against stones and roots. When we finally land, I scramble to my feet almost not feeling at all the bruises embellishing my skin due to my worry, and hurry to cradle a weak Patamon to my chest, before dashing toward Daisuke, that's still shielding Ken, even if they're both unconscious. Dai's on top of the purple haired boy, his right arm crushing their bodies together, his left one tangled in Ken's hair. The other boy's hands are both on Daisuke's chest, and he's breathing with difficult, due to the wounds. And, to my horror, I realize the snow around them is slowly tingeing with blood.

I dash toward them madly, and I'm even more horrified -this time with myself- when I let out a relieved sigh, aware that the blood isn't Daisuke's. I cover my mouth with one hand, the other bolting downward to shake Daisuke. Chocolate brown eyes blink up at me after a second and he groans, wincing at the pain the arrows in his shoulders inflict him. 

I run my fingers through his hair, clearing his forehead of the russet spikes. He always has his hair in his face…and his face is too beautiful to be hidden… I open my mouth to ask him how he's feeling, but I'm cut off when he tightens his hold around Ken's waist, hiding his face in his hair with a sob. 

"Ken…" he calls, a note of desperation lowering his voice. "Ken… answer me, Ken…" 

I'm trembling even before I realize I'm. Dai keeps calling the purple haired boy with a desperation that brings tears to my eyes. I feel one hot teardrop roll down my check, and I catch it in a pale, quivering finger.

"Why am I crying…?" I ask in a voice barely above a breath, not knowing what answer I could give myself. Then, after pulling the sleeve of my sweater over my hand and hastily drying my face, I shake Daisuke again, resolutely. "Dai." I say evenly, my voice strong and low. "Get up. We're taking Ken to the base."

**~*~ Ken's POV~*~ **

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I'm alone.

Again.

Alone in the darkness.

And the glowing eyes are after me.

Skeletal fingers are reaching out toward me from behind.

Sticky, slimy ones erupt from the ground to hold my ankles.

I'm suddenly trapped, sinking painfully in the wet mud. I scream with no voice, my mouth trembling in the effort to let out a scream I know too well will never come. The sticky mud streams around me as if moving calculatedly slowly, sucking me down mercilessly, guiding me through its depths roughly and yet so slowly it only amplifies the horror. I look up, and cold amethyst hued eyes look back at me. They scan my pleading face for a moment, gazing blanking at my outstretched hand, and then turn away, a noise of heels clicking on the ground resounding in the black void.

Again, I shout a mouth cry and then, suddenly, I'm falling. Falling right into the arms of my brother. The sky is of peaceful azure above me. Clouds of sugar racing through the crystalline blue. Endless, grassy fields let themselves drown lazily in golden sunlight. The sound of distant laughter mingles with the peaceful gurgle of nearby stream, sweet whispered birdlullabies accompanying the sound.

Oniisan smiles up at me, his blue and white suit gone. He's wearing a violet shirt, legs clad in a modest pair of shorts. And… his smile is sincere, for once. My fall slows down until I'm floating in mid-hair, looking down at Osamu with watery eyes. I smile back at him, and when he opens his arms, I mirror his gesture, floating slowly toward his smiling form, standing proud in the middle of the green prairie, the sun wrapping both of us in a gentle embrace, almost a soothing one. Tears of joy and forgiveness streak down my cheeks as I inch closer to him and then…

Then…

Suddenly…

Everything's dark. And cold. Osamu's eyes, closed with a smile, snap open, and they're suddenly hid behind purple lenses. He cracks his whip to the ground, now nothing but a cold bed of scattered rocks. The valley quickly transforms into a burned… dead… desert. A cold wind rises and fans Osamu's cape around his slender form madly. He grins at me, an evil glint burning in his dark purple orbs, now deprived of the warm kindness they previously showed.

A gloved finger rises to point at me, and a cold laugh resounds in the air as the skeletal fingers seize my body yet again, pulling me backward toward a twisting black hole.

"It was me, Ken. I'm the responsible. No one else but me…"

I scream, and the darkness swallows me, sliding inside my mouth and lungs to drown me. Then… a brilliant light explodes in front of me. The liquid I seem to be immersed in wavers, and quickly heats up. A large creature appears in front of me. It is incredibly huge, with red wings quivering behind his back, his blue head embellished with a crown of sorts, his black armour shining in the eldritch light this creature itself emanates.

I squeeze my eyes close against the hot brilliance and when I open them again… I'm… surrounded by darkness. But this shadows are paler… welcoming. I feel save, despite of the searing pain in my right side. And I feel warm too. Something smooth and hot is pressed gently over my bare skin. Something… something soft… that encloses me in a warm feeling of peacefulness. I force my eyelids to flutter upward, and when I tip my head to a side, I finally see them.

Two jewels, shining quietly in the pale obscurity. Untarnished and deep they burn, flickering in golden. They are of the same colour as burned terra. As molten chocolate. As russet sunsets. I tip my head toward the jewels, and they slowly are hidden behind… something. I feel something burn in my chest the glimmering sight is cruelly subtracted to my eyes, but whatever was covering the jewels flutters up. A moist breeze his caressing my neck, spiky silkiness tickling the side of my face. And gentle fingers are secured around my shoulder.

A boy…

I open my eyes slowly, immediately shutting them close when the light hits them. I feel a little groggy; my head's light and heavy at the same time, and I can feel my heart rush inside my ears. I arise in a seated position slowly, since my throbbing head and burning side wouldn't allow it any other way. Upon checking my surroundings, I notice I'm inside a little hut and that the wound in my side is bandaged, not to mention glowing in pale green. 

I finger it softly, immediately acknowledging Healing Orbs must have been used upon it. Looking around feeling a bit less uncomfortable than before, I scan the darkness, notice I'm lying on a old ratty blanket placed on pile of leaves, and that Wormmon is curled asleep beside me. It seems they found him wrapped in that sheet I carried… 

"…Wormmon?" I whisper, andthe digimon half opens a pair of groggy sapphire eyes. 

"Hm?"

"Where are we?"

"Oh, you're awake!" He yawns, eyes squeezing into little slits from which a little tear spills out. He carefully jumps down my 'bed' and then crawls outside.

"What, might I ask, is going on?" I ask as the blonde boy from before enters the room.

"You're alive." He says, not sounding trilled at all. "That's a good sign." He adds, dryly.

"Who the hell are you?" I groan, fingering my throbbing forehead.

"Why, aren't we polite…" he groans back, rolling his eyes before leaning against the wall with his arms folded against his chest "…talking that way to the guy who saved your life, isn't exactly…"

"Why, let me thank you, then." I snap. "But, you see, escape your home, nearly being frozen to death and killed by an arrow in the same night makes me a little irritable." Again, the blonde rolls his eyes, muttering something that sound suspiciously like, "What the hell does Dai find in this jerk."

I'm hurt when I understand the jerk he's talking about is me, but my feeling of discontentment is quickly drowned in a wave of disgust as I realize this Dai he mentioned shouldbe that tan skinned boy from the castle, if I remember correctly.

"Motomiya?" I exhale, hugging my blanket closer to me. The blonde blinks wide ocean blue eyes, tipping his head to a side in a quizzical fashion.

"I never thought you would ask of him." I open my mouth to deny, when Motomiya enters the room with a grin, and immediately jumps down on my bed to feel my forehead.

"Dude, how are you--" My reaction is quick. And terrifying. I scream, curling up in a trembling ball and clamping my palms over my ears. I'm shaking madly, disgusted beyond belief. He tries to reach out toward me, but when his fingers came into contact with my shoulder is like a current of electricity runs through me, leaving me breathless.

"GO AWAY!" I shout, drawing my legs closer to my chest, head snapping up with a look of rage twisting my features. "How dare you to touch me, you freak?!"

Motomiya backs away, his face pale and his eyes wide. He and the blonde share a look of confusion, before both pair of disgusting eyes are one me again. "Don't look at me!" I shout, hiding my face between my knees. "LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" I rock my body back and forth slowly, willing my breathing to slow down. And still, Motomiya doesn't understand he must leave me alone. His hand touches my arm again, and I scream, turning around so that all they can see is my back. "GO AWAY! You disgusting freak, don't touch me! Don't!!"

Motomiya retreats slowly, I can understand it from the noise of trembling leaves that suddenly wavers in the air. I look at his hurt face over my shoulder, gripping my arms madly, digging my nails in my flesh. The tan face twists in a pout, and I keep quivering until he's left my bed. Then, I release my body, turning slowly toward the pair.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the blonde with the marine eyes shouts. "Daisuke risked his life to find and bring you here and even got hurt to shield you from the arrows! And that's how you thank him?!"

I force my eyes to move up and down Motomiya's body without a gagging reaction, and then they're back on the just-as-repelling blue orbs.

"He doesn't seem hurt to me." The blonde furrows his brows for a moment, arms shacking slightly, then steels himself, advancing a step. His eyes flash with rage, and I take a deep, shuddering breath before looking up at him, raising my chin proudly despite the shudders ragging my body.

"We healed him, you… you…" He says, his voice hitting a high note on the last few words, the shacking in his arms increasing.

A tanned hand closing over his shoulder keeps him from going on and again I'm shivering, backing toward a corner, but my voice is cold and even when I open my mouth to talk.

"Well, if you healed him so quickly, then the wound wasn't very bad."

"THAT'S BEYOND THE POINT!" He shrieks, raising a fist toward me. I hug my knees closer, and Motomiya jumps to take the blonde's fist in his hands, jerking it closer to his chest, a soft whisper sliding out his lips.

"Take-chan… please…" As he turns toward the russet haired boy, an expression of utter hurt transforms his face, blue eyes now burning with only one emotion. Rage. Pure, rampant rage, rimmed with burning indignation.His muscles shakes, as he tries to decide which is greater, his fury or his obvious affection for the other boy.

After an eternity, he decides, his voice setting in a look of cold hatred.

"DON'T TAKE-CHAN ME, YOU!" He shouts, eyes flashing in rage burning Motomiya's and then –after a mere instant- my own face. "DAISUKE EVEN SPENT TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS AT YOUR SIDE, KEEPING YOU WARM IN HIS ARMS SINCE YOUR BODY WAS GROWING NUMB FOR THE LOSS OF BLOOD!!" he shrieks, glaring at me with primal rage.

As this words leaves his mouth, the blonde calms down, Motomiya's eyes widen and my stomach clenches.Slowly, I arise from the bed, advancing on shaky legs toward the pair. Once in front of them, the blonde's blue eyes brims with unshed tears, and he whirls around to the wall, unable to face me anymore. Motomiya frees the other boy's hand, turning toward me almost shyly. I smile at him softly, and he mirrors the gesture, before my hand connects with the side of his face painfully. I break into a new wave of tears, a faint guilt warring with repulsion and fury.

His eyes widen again, and I cradle my hand to my chest, cleaning it over my shirt. "How dare you?! HOW DARE YOU?! Only because I look slight effeminate, you think this gives you the right to touch me? The right to suppose I'm a =freak= like you?! Well, I'm not!" hot tears stream down my cheeks and several other unknown faces enter the hut with shocked eyes, but I don't care. His is the warm, bare body that kept me alive. His are the jewel eyes I remember from my dream. His are the disgusting hands that were brushing my bare skin. He touched me… he =touched= me… "I'm not a freak! I'm not a pansy-ass faggot! A pervert who likes other boys! I'm normal! I'm normal!" I fall on my knees, sobbing madly, the disgust and the shock covering me like a blanket. "I'm not like you! NO! NOOO!!!I hate you! Go away! You... dirty freak! Go away! GO AWAY!!"

A hand sneaks over my shoulder but I shrug it away roughly, a growl escaping my mouth. "GO AWAY! GO AWAY!!" I watch, numbly, as Motomiya complies, rising slowly on shaky legs. He looks at me for a moment, my eyes burning in his with a look of disgust. And I find it a little disturbing and odd that he isn't showing hatred or loathing in his eyes. He lowers his face slowly to watch me as the light in his eyes fades. There is no anger, no hatred.They're dull, deprived of every fire he could have had. The only feeling is showed is downcast hurt, a soft regret that leaves me to wonder. Then, slowly, he turns. Sensing my eyes on his back he stops, mutters a low, "I'm sorry," and takes a single step forward before, head ducked down and hands clenched into fists, he breaks into a mad rush.

I look at his retreating form and then, without a word, enclose my legs in a hug, letting the burning tears cascade down my face.

**~*~ End of chapter 01~*~**

A dying world… a boy hibernating in an ancient ruin… a boy with tremendous powers… raised by a human boy that calls him 'brother'… Ken's a clinical case of homophobia… Dai loves him… Takeru seems to love Dai… and so does Tai… and… as Osamu himself said, it's all his fault. 

… 

… … is this worth to be continued?


	2. Chapter 2

A

**A/N = *grins happily* I received a lot of good reviews for this one, on Ff.net, on the ML and on my private email account -^^- I'm glad you like this despite its… weirdness. And… it gets weirder, I assure you. *chuckles* You'd be scared if you knew how many ideas my muses have been throwing at me for this one!!! =) **

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**Disclaimer = *sighs* Still not mine… **

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**Couples = In this chapter… well, Daiken, and, always talking about hints and hidden feelings,few people/Dai. *winks* You'll see what I mean! **

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**Warning = PG-13 for what can be found in later/previous chapters. **

_**Heart of Steel – part 2** _

**~*~ Takeru's POV~*~ **

I advance slowly through the lush vegetation, sweet baby grass licking my ankles and a soft breeze streaming through my hair. Then, slowly, I stop, my thoughts dragged by the paradisiacal scene displayed in front of my eyes. An azure lake glimmers under the moonlight, a stream gurgling quietly at my left and a little waterfall bubbling to my right. Iridescent colours are engaged in a wild dance over the silvery surface of the lake, reflecting the soft moonlight in a multitude of opalescent hues.

A soft wisp of green falls into my face, and I brush it aside with my fingertips, but the low branch simply fall back into my eyes. I continue to move it away, gently at first, but when the loose strands keep falling over my eyes, the motion gets more and more upset. After few tries, green foliage still dangles in front of my eyes, tickling my noise annoyingly, and I set for blowing it away, impatiently.

At last, I snap the branch away with a grunt and feel vindicated when it gets tangled with another low bench, finally freeing me from the tickling torture. Allowing myself a small victory chuckle, I stick my tongue out at the lifeless branch, prior to glancing over to my right… and every rational thought flows out my mind as my eyes meet the scene of utter beauty in front of me.

Daisuke stands, his back against an aged palm, eyes squinted in a look of thoughtful sorrow. Eyes as dark and bottomless as those of a puppy. Of a lost, beaten puppy licking his wounds in utter loneliness. Little ephemeral lights dances all around him, floating downward to gently brush the surface of the lake only to waltz heavenwards after a mere, teasing touch, fluttering all around Daisuke in a seductive dance, sending iridescent little lights to trace the sensuous lines of his face. His left foot brushes the surface of the lake, causing concentric ripples to dance around his toes. His other leg is bent up, strong arms wrapped around it, offering rest to his cheek. Dancing flickers of silver are setting his coppery hair on fire, and his skin is magnified to a glistening dark shape, darker that it has ever been. 

And even breathing becomes an action I must force myself to comply. God… he's so wonderful… almost surreal… bathed in silvery light he's almost ethereal. Then, slowly, he looks up at me, as if sensing my presence, but since I was paralysed I wonder what could have drawn his attention to this area. I'm moving to turn around, but I'm stopped when Daisuke smiles at me, hopping to his feet and dusting himself off before advance toward me with a smile. 

"Ehy!" He calls, his smile developing to a proud grin once he's few feet in front of me. "Take-chan! Whatcha doing here?" 

"… walking." I reply absently, my eyes glued to his face. He grins, and taps my chin with his index finger, gently closing my mouth, which-much to my own embarrass- was hanging wide open. 

"Yeah, right…" I feel the blush when it comes to heat up my face, and quickly turn away, a pout tugging at my lips. "Caught." He chuckles, placing his hands on his hips and bowing his head, but even at that angle, his sharp eyes catch mine. And I find myself sinking into those eyes.

Despite all my efforts, I feel my blush darken, but I've the promptness to cover it with a cough. 

"And you?" I hurry to say, trying to move his interest from my growing discomfort. "What are you doing around at such hour?" He shrugs, turning toward the lake with a blank expression, his eyes devoid of every fire he'd ever had. He's gorgeous… God, divine, with the moonlight cloaking him with this gentle layer of silver light but… the weariness and pain in his beautiful features is what attracts my attention. "What happened? Are you all right?"

He remains immobile for a moment, and then shrugs, his eyes now completely blank. As if he's slipped into a sort of trance. The broken reflection of the moon on the quiet water of the lake gifts thousands of flicker to his eyes, partially closed behind his lids and velvet raven lashes, but they're so cold and empty to make me shiver for a moment.

"Yes. I've been thinking, though."

"About what…?" I ask before I can stop myself.

"You know the answer to that question." I guess I nodded, because he nods back and tips his head to a side, looking at me sideways.

"Ken."

"Yeah…" he faces forward again, licking his lips as a look of rapt contemplation crosses his features. He frowns for a moment, though, and when he speaks his voice is barely above a whisper. "You know? I think… his fear is not something related to us." I blink at him, confused, but he just goes on. "Do you remember what he yelled back there, in the hut?"

I nod, a whisper sliding out my lips. "I'm not a freak who likes other boys." Then, in a breathe, I add, "Homophobia."

"No." Daisuke replies calmly, the bows of ghostly light caressing his face making him look almost scary. "That's the base of the question, but that's not everything." He cups his chin thoughtfully, squinting his eyes until they're two slits of dark oblivion. "That's something skin deep. Something that goes beyond simple disgust for same-gender relationships. This is fear. Sorrow. I can smell it… see it as it radiates from his body in huge waves."

I raise a golden eyebrow, studying him with almost reverent fear. "You're saying he's been…" Daisuke shakes his head again.

"No." He says dryly, his dark eyes not wavering in the slightest. "This fear of his is related to something in his past, so much I'm sure of. But I wouldn't think about =that=." His tongue escapes his mouth, moistening his lips carefully. "And then, it seems that his disgust is mostly related to =me=."

"You?!" I shout, and once again his eyes are on me.

"He =did= latch onto you while waiting for me to jump down that window, didn't he?"

"But he didn't know I'm…"

"Homosexual?" Daisuke glares at me, once blank eyes now burning. "Here I'm my beloved." He says, his deep voice pitched of an octave to resemble mine. "We've our first time since we're about to die?"

I blink back at him, not able to utter anything for several minutes. "But… he can't… I mean… why should he… dislike you… when he =just= met you?"

"He's scared because I like boys."

"But I do too!!"

"And he's scared of you too, we =saw= it. Nevertheless, you =can= touch him."

I lick my lips, mouth the slightest bit dry. "He did let me touch him, yes." I look at him slowly, but when our eyes meet he averts my gaze, frustrated at himself. "I don't understand," I amend softly, moving closer to him of a step.

"Me neither." He sighs back. "But… it hurts!" he cries, pressing a fist against his chest. "It hurts here! It hurts so much it cuts my breath! I… don't want him to hate me." He whispers, before shaking his head slowly. "But he does… and it… it pains me… it's like… a spear wedging its way in my heart… it burns… and… suffocates me." He utters, heartbroken. Then he looks up at me, hopefully. "What's this, Takeru? Why… why do I always think about him? Why… why if I close my eyes I can see his face? Hear his voice… feel… feel his… hands… all over me?"

"I'm sorry." I whisper, drowning in his puppy dog eyes. Such lost and confused eyes that my heart breaks as I just look at them. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you felt this way. I didn't know that…that…" and I stop myself, merely staring at him as he exhales shakily.

"What's this I feel, Take-chan?" I shake my head, nibbling gently my upper lip. I know… I know what it is but… it would be too cruel if he's really in—"I want to ask Hikari." Daisuke whispers softly. "She'll help me, right?"

"Yes." I whisper back, smiling sadly at him. "She knows what this feeling is. She knows it better than anyone." I breathe out and then, after a pause I add, "We all know, because of you." Luckily, he doesn't hear me, and looks up at Mother Moon with sad eyes. I follow his gaze to the gentle image wavering above us, and smile sadly to myself.

I'm sorry Hikari. I'm sorry Tai… and brother, wherever you're now, I'm sure this pains you too. After all what happened, after all these years, after all the fights, the tears, the efforts, the one who captured our Dai-chan's heart is… a stranger.

**~*~ Dai's POV~*~ **

I stroke Pegasosmon's muzzle affectionately, and he leans into my touch, rubbing his nose against my belly.

"Cut it!" I warn in a giggle. "It tickles!!" Pegasosmon complies, and –suddenly sentimental- I press my face into his velvety side, and feel him burrow his head in the mop of my hair. I keep stroking him, and he keeps rubbing his nose against my neck. My fingers crawl over the cold surface of his armour and I sigh again, fingering the protective covering slowly.

Both countries –Elenyak and Slayelth- excavate the ruins of the ancient civilization in order to increase their military power. And if Slayelth gained the upper hand is because of the enormous difference in the amount of resources buried within our ruins. But when, unexpectedly, we found these digital armours, Elenyak was able to recover from being hopelessly outnumbered to being back on an even standing with Slayelth.

My chest constricts as I let out a sigh, still caressing the digimon's side gently. This is the digimon me and Takeru raised together, and over time it had become very dear to me. This armour he wears is the one we found together in an abandoned excavation site, a memento of one of our first adventures together.

He's… a gift, too. For this digimon, at the beginning, was…

Yamato's.

When he and Tai helped Elecmon raising digimon over at Hajimeru no Machi, they jokingly promised us that if they ever managed to breed a talking one, they'd give it to us. Digimon are an intelligent race, they can think and talk like humans, but after the ending of the war of One thousand Year a virus spread through them, and now most of the newborns are deprived of the capacity to talk, and, in the worst cases, even grow up to become insane.

So it was a surprise when, on Takeru's sixth birthday, Taichi and Yamato gifted us a little, sweet Poyomon who promptly made his way in our hearts with his chatting. Elecmon explained us that if the little fella' could talk, then he could be nothing but the reborn form of an ancient and powerful digimon, reconfigured after his 'death'.

But soon he fell sick, and with the years he lost completely the capacity to talk. Elecmon and most of the people of Aria wanted to take him away from the city, fearing his disease could got worse and bring him to the edge of insanity, but Yamato… Yamato trusted him… and convinced them we could keep him.

"You miss Yamato too, don't you, Pegasosmon?" I muse aloud, stroking his warm caramel hued back, and he barks softly in reply. "Yes, you do." After all this time, me and Takeru developed a some kind of sixth sense that allow us to communicate with him. That's why I know what he's thinking and promptly moves my head to look in his aquamarine eyes. "You gotta carry Ken, Pagasosmon, no questions." He shakes his head stubbornly, stomping one hoof on the ground, like a three years old human kid would do to show he doesn't like what he's been asked to do. I sigh, patting his nose lightly. "I know, I know… but he's not bad… he's just…" My voice chooses to leave me at this point, and I shake my head helplessly, feeling my digimon's eyes scan my face. "Just do it… Please."

After a pause, he nods, before patting gently my chest with his muzzle. I laugh, and taking hold of his reins, I walk him toward the entrance of the town, where Takeru and Ken are waiting for us. When I look over at them, my eyes and Ken's meet for an instant, but he's quick to look away. Both me and Takeru notice it likewise, and Take-chan's now watching Ken, scanning his expression. I'm sure… I'm sure Ken too was at the lake early this morning. I'm sure… I… felt him there. It's like he possesses this aura that, wherever he's, lets me know his presence.

He wastes no time welcoming me, though. But I bet he did the same with Takeru. He walks past me and up to Pegasosomon. Their gazes link, and for few minutes, they do nothing but stare into each other's eyes, as if studying each other… each waiting for the other to do the first move. Then, the most unbelievable thing happens.

Pegasosmon lowers his head, offering his forehead to Ken to be stroked as he pleases, and Ken complies almost immediately, smothering his fur with long, lazy strokes. Then, he jumps of the digimon's back, glaring at us from above. "Are you ready?" he snaps, and I wince silently, taking hold of the reins again.

"Yes." I say slowly, taking a first step forward and tugging at the reins to drag them behind. "It will take us a little, thought, since me and Takeru are forced to go by feet…"

"Are you accusing me to slow you down?!" he yells, and I don't need to turn around to know his eyes are flashing with rage. "Well, sorry if I got hurt to help =you= and your stupid cause and I'm now too weak to walk!"

"Sorry, I just…"

"Just what?!" he rages, and I can feel Pegasosmon grow nervous. I silently tug the reins to try and clam him down, and all the while Ken keeps yelling at me. But what surprises me is that when I look back at him over my shoulder, his eyes are watery. His lips quiver has he speaks, and I can see two raw of perfect teeth pressed tightly together. He soon has to look away, sobbing madly, the mere sight of a… 'freak', too much for him to stand. And as he looks away, biting his bottom lip to prevent the tears from spilling out his eyes, I do the same.

* * * * *

Pegasosomon settled into an easy trot as we moved across the Sleeping Forest. We passed several wild insane digimon on the way, but we easily left them behind with an extra burst of speed. We made it through the Salty Sand Plans without any more problems, and reached the borders of Windaria Valley in record time. I couldn't help but marvel at the way Ken handles the digimon. He's ridden them many times before, I think.

We stopped several times on our way here, and every time Ken wasn't paying attention, I turned around to steal a glance at him. He's so beautiful… I can't help it… my eyes are attracted to his perfect body and painfully beautiful features like metal is attracted by a magnet. I noticed a lot of people staring at him, too, but for completely different reasons. They know he's from Slayelth, no one in the whole country of Elenyak has purple hair and amethyst eyes. That's a characteristic unknown to us. And that makes it easy to guess his origins. I saw the fright in their eyes, but no one asked any questions or made any remarks. If anything, they were very polite to him. But I could see the mistrust in his eyes and this troubles me.

I face forward again, tearing my gaze off Ken. And I finally notice that very, very soon Windaria Valley will be visible below us. I tug Pegasosmon's reins and we skip to an halt on top of the hill, only to be left breathless by the sight below us. Nestled in-between azure mountains and green hills, is a little Paradise, shimmering like a diamond. The sun doesn't scorch here, but glows softly, welcoming each and every tired traveller in a soft hug. Wide, grassy fields drown in golden sunlight and embrace the crystalline heavens. The sound of the distant laughter of a stream echoes in the blue. Soft strokes of brilliant azure embellish the green canvas of the plains, rivers and lakes bubbling in quiet contentment.

"Wow…" Ken's voice is filled with child like awe as he speaks, his eyes gleaming with delight.

"Windaria…" I whisper. "The valley of wind… we're finally home…"

"It's beautiful…" he whispers softly. "Daisuke." I freeze. And I bet Takeru does too. He called me by my name… He… I thought he… I turn back around, and Ken's there, looking at the Paradise below us with an angelic smile.

The sky behind him is painted with brilliant azure, iridescent purples, and soft pinks, pearly wisps of clouds lining the distinct hues like cotton. His long hair wavers in the breeze, grazing his shoulders on the front and restrained in a loose ponytail that quivers behind his shoulders, and I whish to feel its silk, soft strands slid between my fingers. I gaze at him wistfully, yearning that he'd turn around and allow me to gaze upon his handsome face, the eyes that gleam gently, the lips I long to kiss...

But I'm not ready when he grants my whish and turns around. Our eyes meet and for a moment, he's smiling only for me. Some of his hair come loose from the bind in the back with the movement and the strands get caught on the breeze and waver, gleaming in the golden light. He doesn't look away, nor let his smile fade for what feels an eternity, and I'm even more aware at how painful it is when those amethyst hued eyes are not on me.

Then, the spell's broken somehow, and he looks away, his face twisted in a look of disgust.

"Maybe we should straighten out our sleeping arrangements now," he says in a cold voice. And I sigh, lowering my gaze to my feet. Ken runs hot and cold. I never know what to expect from one moment to the next.

"Actually, we're really close to Aria. It took us two weeks to arrive here after the attack to the Castle, and I believe we should hurry." Takeru says cheerfully from behind me. "The guys must be worrying for us, I suggest to keep going! If we keep marching at the same rate we adopted for the whole journey, we should enter the town before dusk." I nod reluctantly, and the only reaction Ken has is to dig his heels in Pegasosmon's sides, urging him into a light gallop.

He's running away.

From me.

Again.

~*~ **Hikari's POV**~*~ 

I lift my gaze to the velvet skies above, a distant smile tugging up my lips. The sun's creeping down toward the horizon, inundating the sky with sweet cherry light. The sunlight becomes almost iridescent as the sun retreats in front of the thinning clouds, and the sky turns golden, dimming to deep purple as the eye travels to where the sun's going to meet its last desire, the wavering line of darkness that will be its night-bed.

I tip my head to a side, loosing myself in the breathtaking sunset, somewhat relieved at the thought that - no matter what the Emperor could do to hurt and scar the Planet - the nature would keep setting such wonderful sights to the eyes of its beloved creatures.

My smile has a short life, though, and dies softly under the bittersweet warmth of the lone tear trailing down my face. I sigh to myself, and drag my knees closer to my torso, curling up in an almost foetal position, lowering my face between my knees to hide the redness of my puffy eyes and the dry traces of tears over my cheeks to the world. Aria… Aria isn't the same if Dai isn't here. I… I want him back. I'm worried. After hearing rumours about him being killed during a clash with the Imperial soldiers gone after us, I heard rumours about three boys spending the night in Mistalm, at the borders of Elenyak, but… I can't dare hoping. One of those could be Dai… the other Takeru… and the other the person we were supposed to find, but…

What if I fan my hopes only to see them shattered by another rumour? I couldn't bare to cry myself too sleep one more night. And I'm sure the last thing my friends need is to bear with my endless sadness when they are already fighting their own worry and sorrow, while entangled in a battle with themselves to remain cam and stoic in front of the littlest ones. I bit my bottom lip, squeezing my eyes shut against the tears and yet causing two fat droplets to roll down my cheeks with the sharp motion.

Daisuke… where are you…? Dai… Dai…

"DAI!!" The tone, exhilarated and excited is enough to make my head snap up from its resting place in-between my knees. I look around, almost scared, huge eyes burning with the almost too familiar stinging sensation of tears. Again the name is called by dozens and dozens of voices together, and I scramble to my feet, nearly tripping on my own feet as I do. I run toward the front gate of the city, pushing and fighting my way through the quickly gathering crowd. And as I finally arrive, my breath dies somewhere inside my throat.

Advancing slowly, grinning and waving proudly to the people reunited to welcome him is… Daisuke. He's walking slowly, Takeru waving at his side, his face settled in a look of teary happiness. On Pegasosmon's back, eyeing us all with a cold and yet surprisingly scared look, is a boy wrapped in a purple cape. I focus on him just for a moment, the time to blink my eyes, and then I'm aligning my gaze Daisuke's lean form. But I'm sure that those eyes blinked back at me. Tinged with curiosity…

Through the veil of tears blurring my vision, I see Taichi running toward Dai, picking him up and spinning him around with a glorious laugh. When he puts him down, he ruffles his spikes playfully and Miyako immediately walks up to him, hugging him with a squeaked cry of happiness, before pulling away roughly and posing her trademark 'bingo' sign for him.

I smile through my tears, wiping at my burning eyes furtively only to have news tears reducing my world to blurry lines and spots of colour all over again. Iori nods politely at him, and even through the veil of tears I can see him blushing profusely. Dai smiles back at him, gesturing him to come closer. Iori complies and –very uncharacteristic of him- traps Dai in hug. Both Mimi and Sora jump Dai once he frees himself from Iori's vice-like hug, one hiding her face in his chest and the other wrapping both him and her pink haired friend in a hug, placing her chin on top of Dai's head. Koushiro and Jyou comes up then, smiling and shaking Daisuke's hand vigorously, while Mimi and Sora place themselves at his sides, with Mimi still clinging to Dai as he's her lifeline.

My vision's too blurry now, and I vaguely recognize Miyako's blurred shape as she comes closer, and almost trip when she pushes me forward gently but resolutely. The little push is enough to make me fall in someone's arms, though, and when I look up, Daisuke's smiling down at me, warm eyes glimmering with affection.

"Ehy…" he breaths out in a soft whisper, reaching out to finger my cheeks. And I can't hold it anymore. Everything that happened, all the worry, all the pain, the affection, begin simmering inside my chest, and I can't fight anymore the tears that inevitably come when his soft touch reaches my chin, to tip my face up and let our eyes met. I know I am crying when I smile up at him, tears streaming down my face unchecked as I swallow down my sorrow, desperately wanting to just touch him and reassure myself that he is here.

"Dai…" I choke out, shaking my head frantically. "I thought… I thought… you were… were…" Unable to even say it aloud, I lower my head, lying my forehead against his chest, whisperings his name over and over, brokenly. My face's buried in his shirt, drenching it with tears. But he doesn't seem to mind, though. He simply enclose me in a warm hug, stroking my hair tenderly.

"Hush… Kari… stop crying… I'm here… everything's gonna be alright… shhh…" he whispers softly, moving a strand of brown from my forehead to kiss the white skin tenderly. Gently, he takes me in his arms, and I wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in the hollow of his neck. "Let's go home…" he says, and I nod slowly, still crying unstoppably.

He doesn't even excuses ourselves, advancing slowly toward home. I look up then, watching Miyako smiling softly at me. Takeru and Taichi's smiles are sadder, but that already faint inner sorrow disappears under the warmth of their clear relief. The only thing that troubles me is the purple haired boy on Pegasosomon's back. He's looking at me with huge amethyst hued eyes. They're so confused… scared… and it seems that, deep within those bottomless polls of shining purple, there're some indistinct… something clearly conceived and unrecognised. But something that, to me, with all my inexperience, looks like… longing.

* * * * *

Once in my room, Daisuke slowly lowers me to my bed, ruffling my hair before walking toward the door and closing it noiselessly. I silently hold my arms out to him as he turns around. He advances slowly toward me and gently takes one of my hands to place the whisper of a kiss on my cold skin, while sitting down carefully at the edge of my bed. I smile up at him, loosing myself in his eyes.

"I was so worried…" I whisper and he nods, smiling back at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you worry…"

Watching him smile, a little frown finds its way over my lips. Disentangling my hand from his gentle grasp, I reach out to brush soft fingertips under his eyes, tilting my head in worry.

"Dai…" I whisper and he nods again, sensing what I'm about to ask. "You cried…" And, when he nods again, bottom lip quivering and eyes shimmering with unshed tears, the only word that slides out his lips is "Ken,"

~*~ **Ken's POV**~*~

I watch mutely as they retreat, disappearing from view inside one of the biggest houses of the whole city, with a faint hint of disappoint surging to coat the insides of my mouth. The brunette girl with the eyes of gold bears a odd resemblance to me. Something in her countenance, the delicacy of her features, the way her silky hair frames her pale face smoothly, makes her look very similar to me. But the similitude stop to the appearance, not touching her inner self. Because I would never let him touch me ever again. I… I don't even understand how she can let him touch her. He's not… he's not… appealing at all. His… his skin is the colour of mud. And… his hair are a mop of dirty reddish. I… I… no, I don't find him… interesting. At all.

I'm shivering though, and biting my lip with each word that crosses my mind. I don't know why, but looking at Motomiya carrying away this girl I could venture to define a feminine version of myself makes me feel… strange. She's… me, held carefully in his arms. Like those two nights and days he spent pressing our bare bodies together to warm me. I… me… in his arms. Me… in his arms. Me. I…

"Ken." I'm startled out my thoughts when I hear the voice call my name. It is loud and strong, tinged with hints of barely tamed rage. I look down, and a boy with brown hair and chestnut eyes set in a light tanned face is looking up at me, his fists clenched at his sides. The blonde… Takeru, is by his side, whispering to him to calm down. I suppose he told him about my disgust for pansy-ass faggots. I raise an eyebrow at him, amused by the way his body shakes with anger. This boy is really easy to understand. He hates me. For hating Daisuke. Is he like him, then? I suppose so.

On instinct, I move away, and sensing my discomfort, Pegasosmon retreats of a couple of steps, not allowing the boy's tentatively raised hand to touch him. I'm grateful for this, and pat the digimon's neck affectionately, and he nods, a soft mewling sound escaping his big mouth. I giggle, supposing this means "it was nothing."

Then I look down, licking my lips and trying hard not to shake.

"Taichi, I suppose." 

"Yeah…" he says deliberately slowly, almost trying to scare me, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly. I bit my bottom lip hard, now shaking violently. He's… like Daisuke… he's… like them… like them… like… them… all. 

I let out a deep sigh, reaching up to slid my hood off. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm the one that send you that letter." I take a pause, during which we study each other carefully. My eyes burn, and I want to escape, terrified to death. But I must stay… no matter what, I must help them. I've to stop Osamu. I've to do it for the Planet's sake. Gaia needs my help to keep living… I swallow my fear, somehow taming my violent shakes. Pegasosmon tips his head up, offering me his neck to rest my hand upon, trying to help me relax. I'm grateful for that, too. "As I said in the letter, my name's Ken." I lick my lips yet again. I hate feeling like this, helpless, scared… but I've to go on. My mission is more important that my fears. "Prince Ken Ichijoiji Slayelth III." 

The crowd around the three of us explodes in a single, loud gasp that makes me quiver, feeling the need to suddenly morph and become as little as possible. Takeru's mouth drops open and he reels backward, instinctively clinging onto the nearest source of support, which reveals to be a lavender haired girl whose cinnamon eyes are hooked on my shivering form. 

"And what's the great help you're willing to offer us?" Taichi glares at me, totally unimpressed. I study him with the exact same coldness, tightening my hand around Pegasosmon's hair to gain courage. 

"Simple." I reply, my voice even and slow despite the fear shimmering just underneath my calm façade. "The only thing that could possibly beat Emperor Osamu's army." 

"What?" He replies disdainfully, folding his arms with a look of cold hatred. I sigh, lowering my gaze to Wormmon as he exits my bag and crawls on my lap, my free hand reaching up to show them all my pendant. I look straight in Taichi's eyes then, my voice resounding strong and low when I part my lips. 

"An Anima." 

**~*~ End of chapter 02~*~**

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***looks around hopefully* How was that? Bad? Good? Completely crazy? ^^;; Uuhh… I know too much people seem to hold hidden feelings for Dai, but I needed to have it this way. =) Daisuke grew up with tons of people declaring him their love… and now he's so confused he doesn't even know what love, spiritual and physical, means… My… I sense problems… don't you? =) *waves a Kensuke flag* Please review and tell me whatcha think!!! -^^-**


	3. Chapter 3

A

**A/N = *grins happily* I had a block and couldn't decide how to write this chapter… but I'm finally over it! *cheers* You don't know how happy your reviews make me =)**You're amazing, all of you, and I thank you for all the reviews and mails I'm receiving *teary eyed* 

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**A/N 2= The people of Gaia use Gil as money. I shamelessly took the name from the Final Fantasy series, since I couldn't come out with anything better… ^^;; **

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**A/N 3= *blushes terribly* Please no comment on my Dai-obsession, okay? Please? *blush* I know I take every occasion to describe him as handsome as a God but, ehy… there must be a reason if everyone in this fic loves him! ^^;; **

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**A/N 4 = with Kelly's permission, Miyako's quoting her in this fic. "See the light" is something Kelly said in one of her reviews to this story… and I just =had= to use it. ^^v **

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**Disclaimer = Digimon and its characters are going to be mine someday (-- actually believing it)… right now… they aren't. ^^ **

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**Couples = In this chapter… well, Daiken, Hikasuke (and before you get angry at me, NO, Daisuke did NOT give Hikari her ring.) Hikari-SURPRISE!, Taisuke and… dare I say it? Kensuke? Finally…? Uhm… sort of. You'll see. **

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**Warning = PG-13 for what can be found in later/previous chapters. **

_**Heart of Steel – part 3** _

**~*~ Hikari's POV~*~ **

I wake up to the sound of Daisuke's soft snoring. I look around groggily, and find him sprawled on my bed in a very inelegant way, tangled in a heap of dirty clothes and white sheets. I muffle a giggle as I sit up, my laughter immediately turning into a tired yawn. I can't resist the urge to steal a glance at him out of the corner of my eye, and that's exactly what I do, smiling softly when he murmurs something in his sleep and burrows under the covers. I can't help but giggle, for this reminds me too much of our childhood, when Daisuke and me would spend every stormy night in his bed or mine, his arms wrapped protectively around my curled form.

And Taichi would find us and yell, enraged, embarrassed and a lot of other things I couldn't understand at that time. But me and Dai knew him better than that, and with a little bit of wheedling we'd get him into letting us sleep with him in his bed, so that we would curl in each others arms, safe from the scaring rage of the storm. Soon enough that stopped to be a rite reserved for stormy nights to become a tradition, something that would happen every night… until Taichi thought me and Dai were too old to sleep together and do =just= it.

As if Daisuke would ever think about that…

He's too naïve for his own good. He's so innocent and oblivious of the ways life works, I'm sure he wouldn't know what sex was even if I… or Takeru… or anyone else would jump on him, tie him on the bed and actually =show= him.

_//Bad thoughts, Hikari…// _I scold myself silently. _//You're such a bad, bad girl…// _

Once again I'm giggling, covering my mouth with my hand to cover the sound and not wake him up. Something cold presses over my lips and I move my hand to admire the ring shining in the lazy sunlight.

"Yup." I whisper. "An very bad girl… an =engaged= bad girl…" Thirteen and engaged. It's a tradition of our country to marry young. When I was littler I complained about this, but… when there's love, there's everything that's needed to bond two souls together, whichever age they're.

Slipping off the bed reveals to be a hard task, due to the heap of covers I'm trapped in. Somehow I manage to make it from the bed to the door, though, and once there I can't suppress a sigh of relief. Opening the door as quietly as possible, I try my best to avoid making any noise lest I wake him, and slip on the dimly lit corridor.

The first night he spent here after coming back two days ago, he has cried himself to sleep, and since then his nights has been plagued with nightmares. He has refused to tell me what's wrong, but Takeru told me it's about that boy that comes from Slayelth –Ken- and… this Ken and Daisuke spending two days and nights holding each other.

Naked.

Okay. I =know= Daisuke did it to save him. I know. Ken's life was in danger and Dai had to help him. I know. And that's not what troubles me, really. What troubles me… is that despite Daisuke's obvious affection, Ken seems to enjoy ignoring him. And… the fact Daisuke cried… troubles me beyond belief. 

I've know Daisuke since childhood and never, *never*, I saw him cry. He was always the brave one, the proud and confident little Dai that lit up my whole day. My little knight with the shining armour.

I let out an involuntary little sigh as I stroll downstairs, retiring to the bathroom for a good many minutes whereupon I methodically ready myself for the day ahead.

Thereafter putting some clothes on, I reach the kitchen and busy myself at the stove. I've missed these little things while Daisuke was away… looking at his peacefully sleeping face… cooking him his favourite dainties… My eyes narrow against the bright morning sunshine of Aria, a sigh trusting against my lips. My gaze falls on my ring, electric purple glimmering like an admonition on my white skin. _Remember Kari_, it seems to be whispering to me, _when you'll be married you won't… _

"…'morning." I turn around, and find Daisuke leaning on the doorframe, yawning and passing a hand through his spikes. We smile softly at each other, but when he notices what I've been staring at, he folds his arms in front of his chest, his smile shifting to a smirking grin.

"If you keep staring at it, your fiancée will have to buy you a new ring, 'cuz you'll have consumed this one!"

"Oh, shut up!" I warn, spraying him with the water that's dripping from my fingers. He laughs, holding his palms open in a gesture of surrender. But when I stop my attack, I'm no sure who's the one that lost… if he lost against my attack, or if I lost against his cuteness. He's in the process of growing into a beautiful man, but still has that touch of immature childishness in him. He's so adorable…

An ancient pain blossoms in my heart to weaken my smile. When I'll be married… I'll have to kill this feelings I've for him… to say goodbye to my first love…

Sensing my eyes water, I swirl around quickly, once again focusing on cooking his breakfast.

"Smells wonderful, what's that?" he asks, peeking from behind my shoulders to my busy hands.

"Your favourite." I reply with a shrug. "Sit down." I feel his chin dig in my shoulder a couple of times as he nods, and then he moves away, moving his arms from around my waist.

"Taichi?" Again I shrug, hardly stifling a sigh.

"Somewhere readying the city for the meeting. He's called all the other leaders of the resistance, they should arrive today to meet…" I bit my bottom lip, wincing. Oh, no…

"Ken…" He whispers, and it's both amazing and horrifying to hear how his voice saddens. How his tone softens, filling with the glassy echo of unshed tears. I turn around, watching him as he carefully walks up the window, his gaze loosing itself in the far distance.

"Dai… what happened…?"

He says nothing, but nods at the window, gesturing me to come closer. I immediately comply, jogging up to him to stare at what he's staring to… and my breath catches in my throat. Under a shower of rosy petals, surrounded by the baby grass, shielded in the umbra of a huge tree there are… Miyako. And Ken. And they're chatting, laughing gently, and occasionally I can see Miyako patting Ken's shoulder affectionately. Breathless, I snuggle up close to Dai, feeling his warmth like a blanket over me. My chest contracts painfully, and I've to swallow the sudden lump searing my throat.

"Why… why does it hurt…?" It seems difficult for him to talk, as if he can't get enough air. I look up at him and, as if reading the question crossing my mind, he shakes his head, biting his bottom lip. His eyes linger on the chatting pair longingly as he speaks, his voice hushed, his tone soft. "I can't describe this… nor explain it. It just… hurts."

"What…?" I ask slowly, and he shrugs.

"Seeing Ken happy with her. They've been together since we came back to Aria, you knew?" I shake my head no and he mirrors my action, slowly. "I saw them. From my window."

"That's what troubles you?" I blink, almost relieved, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know Miyako better than that, Daisuke. She's caring and sweet, the kindest girl I've ever met. She isn't trying to seduce him or anything. He's alone, in a foreign country… and she's trying to help him. You should trust her. I do."

"I do too, but… It hurts that Ken's so happy with her… even if it's good to know he's happy. I want him happy. Look." He gestures toward the pair, his voice a soft tune of awed delight. "Look at Ken."

Obediently, I lift my eyes to look at him. He's smiling, his pale cheeks flushed with laughter. "He's beautiful when he smiles, isn't he?"

"Yeah…" I breathe, and Daisuke nods fervently, his voice even softer when he speaks again.

"I wish… I wish I could make him so happy." He sighs, and when I look up at him there's a smile on his face, yet a distinctly distant expression clouds his eyes, making them less sparkling than I remembered. "I'd be so glad if I could make him so happy…" His dreamy expression falls down, crumbled under the weight of a frown. "But I can't, because he hates me… and it hurts."

"He…?" I blink, shocked, and Daisuke looks down at me, eyes begging for answers I'm not sure I'll ever have.

"Why?! Why does he hate me so much?!"

"Dai… Dai I don't know… no one can know what's inside his heart and mind if not Ken himself…" Daisuke shakes his head, shoulders sagged.

"Do you know why does it hurt, then? Why… why do I want to be with him? Why being far from him pains me? And why being with him seems the only thing that eases this pain? Why…" he licks his lips, and I slowly begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, frowning in thought. "Why… do I dream of him? Why can I feel his hands, smooth and warm, over my skin, when I close my eyes? Why… I… want to touch him? To have every inch of my skin explored by his fingertips… and mouth…?" An almost horrified expression crosses my features as he keeps explaining, his cheeks flushing when he whispers the last statement. Daisuke… seems to… "Why… every time I see him it's like my body's on fire? Wet and hot all together? What does it mean?! Why does he make me feel like this?"

I back away, mouth ajar. I can't explain what I'm feeling now. I'm horrified, maybe. Surprised, disorientated. Saddened, perhaps. I'm… surely shocked. If I gave up my feeling for him, it was because I thought Dai, who seems to love everyone, would never be able to love one of us in that special way… and now Daisuke's… Daisuke's… I shake my head, shocked and confused all at once.

"Daisuke." I whisper. "You're the only one that can understand your feelings, I can't explain them, for I'm not you." His shoulders sag and he lowers his head, nodding slowly. "But if being with him makes you happy, then fight with all your mind to just be with him." His head snaps up, and his wide eyes quickly fills with hope. I smile at him, clasping my hands behind my back. "I want to see you happy Daisuke." I breathe out. "That's why I'm telling you this. You don't need to figure out what these feeling are, to follow them. You've a talent for working your way into a person's soul. Be yourself Dai, and Ken will soon like you. Be with him is the only way you have to figure out your feelings."

Daisuke blinks, eyes wide in awe, before smiling widely. The one he's giving me is the kind of innocent smile he used to have when we were younger, far different from the almost smirking grin he's learned from Tai and that he's been proud to show lately. He nods fervently, trapping me in a hug. And when he moves away, the hope that never left his eyes is now burning, untarnished and blinding, in their cinnamon-hued depths.

"Thank you." He says, before picking me up to swirl me around, switching place with me when he puts me down, and dashing full-speed toward the front door.

"Where are you going?!" I yell to his retreating form.

"Training!" He yells back excitedly, darting outside madly. I run up to the door, leaning against the doorframe. "I haven't had action for way too much! I need some!"

"But Dai!" I whine, waving my fists in the air in a hopeless, angry action. "You've been hurt! And you haven't eaten yet! Not to mention you didn't take the Angel Du--"

"I don't need that thing! Tell Jyou to store it for someone who needs it! I'm fine!" He turns around, grinning widely. "I'm gonna go training at the Rainbow Cascades either if you like it or not!" Then, he swirls around, rushing toward the lake. I blink several times, his words slowly sinking into my brain.

Daisuke… training… at the cascades… this means… 

"Oh my…" I whisper to my self. My face's hot, the sure indication of a bush, and I suck a sharp breath in, closing my fingers around the cold doorknob in search of support.

_// …Daisuke training at the waterfall… oh, these are bad thoughts, Hikari… such bad thoughts… Daisuke training at the waterfall… Hikari, you're getting married in two months!!! But… Daisuke's training… at the waterfall… Hikari… you're an engaged girl… Daisuke training at the waterfall… shirtless… or even… oh, Hell!!// _

"Daisuke, wait for me!" I yell, running after him for all I'm worth. Hell, I may be about to get married, but Daisuke training is a sight no one with some sanity left would miss…

**~*~ Ken's POV~*~**

This place… is wonderful. It took me less than 24 hours to fell in love with its quietness, its endless plains, its shining sun and sweet-smelling air. Once we left Slayelth territory, a strange nostalgia has set in and I'm feeling the effects of it, now. Looking around at Aria and the warm blue sky above it, I can't help but think back to my home. The sky is darker there, the air dryer and colder despite my home is located in the southern part of our continent, but the feeling of warm familiarity that wavers in the breeze is just the same.

Nostalgia and a mixture of bittersweet memories play in my mind, and my smile saddens for a heartbeat. I long to go back home…

…but I wouldn't go back there for anything.

"What are you thinking about…?" I shift my gaze, aligning it with soft hazel eyes. Miyako's smiling at me, playing with a loose strand of grass. "A Gil for your thoughts."

"I'm thinking… about my home." I reply sincerely. It seems I can't lie to her. Miyako has been the first one to be really friendly with me… even if… thinking about it, Motomiya too has been…

"Stop." She reaches out to slap my shoulder. I massage it with a look of confusion crossing over my countenance, and she raises one finger to point at me. "You were frowning all of a sudden." She explains with a shrug, reaching down to finger the hem of her skirt. After a long pause, she raises her gaze again, looking at me sideways. "Love problems?"

I blink at her, incapable to do nothing but blink for what feels like eternity. "What?" I squeak rather unceremoniously, at last. She crosses her arms, puffing out her cheeks indignantly.

"You gotta spill out what's troubling ya, Ken." She says. I shake my head, honestly confused, and watch in amazement as her scowl fades into a smile. "But I think I know who has made you frown."

"W-who…?"I reply, licking my lips cautiously. I don't understand what she's trying to do, but her next words shock me to the very core of my being.

"Daisuke."

I blink, inhaling sharply, reeling backward as if hit by a whiplash. Miyako's grin doesn't even waver as she watches, quite amused, as I back away, moving on my hands and feet. I soon find my back pressed against the tree that's been providing us shelter from the blazing sunlight, and once there I hug my arms tight.

"That… that *freak* as nothing to do with me or my thoughts! And I wouldn't even dream of loving…" I pause, not even able to say it. To my horror, Miyako chuckles, a rather predatory smirk blossoming over her lips.

"I never related my conviction of you having love problems with my fact I though you were thinking about Daisuke, Ken." I gasp, looking around as if in search for help. "What made you think about… being in love with him?"

"I never said that." I know I'm blushing. Out of rage, of disgust, of embarrass at being mocked or at falling in such simple trap so easily, I'm not sure, but I know I'm blushing rather clumsily. The amused look in her eyes tells me so.

"Why, aren't you the one that first came to the supposition you could love Dai?"

"I said I could =never= love him." I reply, pouting like a child. "Don't twist my words around, I don't like it."

Miyako laughs whole-heartedly, waving her hands with a grin. "This doesn't change the fact you =were= the one that first thought about you being in love with Dai." I open my mouth to reply, but she waves me to silence, still grinning. "No point in denying it, Ken. You know it's true." I grunt, drawing my legs closer to my torso and resting my folded arms over my knees, hiding my chin between my hands. Miyako shakes her head and sinks backwards on the grass until she's propping herself up on her elbows, her gaze loosing itself in the sapphire brilliance above. "Ken… Daisuke's special, why can't you see it?"

"I can't see what all of you seems to find in him!" I rage, whipping my head to the other side. "He isn't… good-looking. He has skin and hair of the same colour as dirty mud. And he's… we can't even say his beauty is in the inside, for I find him childish and stubborn."

"Daisuke's sweet." She replies slowly. "He's kind, handsome and strong. He's proud and untamed, a rebel soul with a golden heart. You can't deny his eyes burn with a mesmerizing force. Or the way his skin almost glistens in the sunlight, can you?" Another grunt bounces out my throat and Miyako shakes her head, closing her eyes. "When are you going to see the light, Ken?"

"What light?" I reply, stubbornly. "You all here seem to be in love with that boy. I just can't see what you find so appealing in him."

Miyako lets out a chuckle, and I gulp, realizing it holds the stunning tremble of tears. I turn around, looking at her as she runs one hand through her lavender hair, complying the action slowly, almost thoughtfully. "Love is a sad hide-and-seek game, Ken. Remember that." She looks up again, sighing at a passing cloud. "You can't always have what you want. It's difficult to find happiness in this dying world, but why deny it to yourself when you're one of the few lucky ones that find it? Don't deny happiness to yourself Ken. You deserve more than self-imposed loneliness."

"What are you saying…?" I inquire softly, reaching out to touch her.

She grasps my hand in hers, reaching out with her other hand to touch my shoulder. "You're scared because Daisuke's gay, right?"

I nod, unable to deny the truth. "Whoever likes people of their same gender is sick. They scare me."

"Ken?" She says slowly, squinted eyes pleading me for… something. "I'm getting married in two months." I cast a quick glance to the ring glimmering quietly on her right ring-finger, nodding absent-mindedly. "To a girl." I look up at her and nod. "Ken? I'm lesbian."

I blink. Then I take my time to look around before blinking again, when finally my eyes meet hers again. "…so?"

Miyako's whole attitude changes drastically. She cocks her head to one side, taking a long, narrow-eyed look at my face. A grin that might be slightly malicious, hadn't it been for the wacky delight setting her wide eyes on fire, spreads across her face, and I find myself wondering if I should be worried. But as he grin grows wider and more mischief fills her now narrowed eyes, I wonder how impolite it would be if I bolted.

"Ken-kun!" She cries in a high-pitched voice, and Iinvoluntarily twitch in response. Her grin turns almost scary and I'm suddenly reminded of what I'm expected to do. Turning pale, I struggle free of her grasp and touch, backing away with a blush.

But she just holds up a finger, shacking it left and right with a grin.

"Uhn-uhn, Ken. Too late." I groan, massaging my forehead intently, the grass wavering around me turning suddenly to the most fascinating show I could ever meet with. She must find my embarrassment amusing, since she reaches out to slap me on my back. "Scared of gay people, uh? Nice try."

"Miyako…" I mutter, shacking my head slowly. "This is different. You're a girl. The fact you're lesbian almost makes me feel all the more comfortable around you."

"Uh…?" She blinks owlishly down at me, her hand freezing in mid-air. "Wha--?"

I duck my head, dark hair swinging down to shield my face in a straight curtain. "You won't ever touch me… with second intentions, if you are."

Her eyes are growing huge, I don't need to look at her to know that. My gaze's fixed, mesmerized on my hands folded ashamedly on my lap. I sense her discomfort grew, hand in hand with my own, as she shifts, her hand dropping lifelessly on the ground.

"You're scared… of… being touched?" I merely nod, daring to cast a glance up at her. "But… you've no problems with me touching you, Ken… if only gay boys trouble you, then…" All of a sudden, her fingers tighten around my shoulder tightly, nails digging in the flesh almost to the point of pain, forcing me too look up at her. I surrender at last, feeling trapped, and watery indigo drifts and meets worried brown. "Ken, have you been…?" I duck my head once again, shacking it fervently. She lets out a sigh, and I can feel ever muscle of her body sag with relief. "Thank Goddess."

Here she takes a pause, and I can feel her burning eyes on my shivering form. "What happened, then…?" I hope my mouth, moving it slowly, but no sound comes out. I shake my head and try again, only to feel the all too familiar sensation of tears burning the back of my eyelids. I… I'm not ready to say it. I'm… even weirder that Daisuke and Takeru are. Far more dangerous. I could easily become like my brother… minister Joan… my father, and all of them… I've… I'm… I…

I snap my head upward, hair swirling around my face to face a shocked Miyako. I force my mouth open, hoping she can understand… that she can help… when a girl's scream catches my attention. I immediately swirl toward the source of noise, and meet with the sight of a strawberry haired girl waving at us, with a blinding smile grazing her lips. She throttles gracefully toward us, her heels clicking almost musically on the ground as she approaches. A dance of pink veils accompanies each move of what seems to be a young dancer, and she places her hands on her chest as she finally reaches us, bowing her head slightly before clasping her hands behind her back in an almost shamed gesture.

Her angelical features lights up with a smile and her cheeks flush when she grins down at us.

"Miyako!!" She squeaks happily, moving a stray of pink from her forehead. "Daisuke and Taichi…"

"What are you doing there?!" A red-haired girl shouts from the main street of the village, waving almost angrily at us. She pauses, and pulls at the hem of her skirt, before looking up at us, her cheeks puffed out in a look of annoyance, of angry hurry. "Daisuke and Taichi are fighting at the Rainbow Cascades!"

"F-fighting…?" I choke out, looking around in confusion. My eyes fall on Miyako's face and I'm startled to see the mix of fear and excitement revealing over her features.

"Are you sure?!" she squeals, a sound between a cry and a shout of joy leaving her mouth. The redhead grins, waving at us to follow. The pink-haired dancer bows quickly and picks up her long skirt to rush after the other girl.

"What's… going on…?" I ask, licking my lips, mouth the least bit dry.

"You heard 'hem." Miyako replies, scrambling up to her feet almost goofily. "Taichi and Daisuke are fighting at the Rainbow Cascades…" she dusts herself off, offering me a hand to stand up. I rise to an upright position without her help, looking around at the excited crowd gathering to the eastern part of the village.

"And is this… good?" Miyako stands, with a long look behind her at me and Wormmon, who came back from his exploration trip to tug at my pants.

She has this look… that puzzles me. Maybe it's the type of expression. Maybe it was the way her fists clench, the way her teeth clash as she draws her lips back in a grimace halfway between a grin and a scowl.

"You'd never imagine." She answers with a sly grin, her features settling on a look of madcap delight, as she pulls on my sleeves. I let her drag me downhill, hearing the roar of the crowd escalate at a sickening quick pace. We almost roll downhill, and Wormmon begins to scurry after us, his many feet clicking on the muddy streets.

Miyako has stopped running after she nearly ran into a tall raven-haired man, but she isn't walking slowly, either. Wormmon has gotten that pause as a chance to jump in my arms, and I hold tightly onto him as Miyako increases her pace again. She keeps pushing people aside rather forcefully, yelled curses escaping her mouth every time some foolish bystander dares to stop her mad rush. She nearly growls at them, not slowing down at all, while I keep yelling my apologies to everyone.

We run past the dancer and the redhead, who were just few feet in front of us. Past a startled group of people I recognize from two days ago –the young, emerald-eyed kid, the redhead with the obsidian eyes and the tall, blue haired, bespectacled young man-when we first reached Aria. We run down the streets of the town, while I hold onto Wormmon fearfully. He watches everything intently, not bothered in the slightest. His silence worries me slightly, but is a relief to find him so relaxed. He's sworn servitude to me when I saved his life years ago, swearing to protect me with his life. That's why his calm behaviour clams me, taming the frantic beating of my heart. If there were danger, he would sense it, trying his best to save me, no matter what. 

Finally, Miyako's mad rush comes to an abrupt stop when she bumps into someone, and falls unceremoniously on her back, her feet threw in the air. I let go of Wormmon and stifle a giggle, covering it with a cough when she glares up at me, standing up with as much dignity as she can muster. The blonde boy turns around, blue eyes widening. "Miyako!" Takaishi shouts, almost jumping around. "Have you seen =them=?!" 

"NO!" She whines, gripping his shoulder to use it as a support to pull herself up. "Where?! Where?! Water or not?! Magic? Blades? Fists?! Shirts or not?!" she asks fervently, her voice reaching a pitched peak on the last few words. 

"Water." The blonde replies dreamily. "No magic, bare hands. And *no* shirts." 

Miyako squeaks in delight, holding onto my wrist tightly to drag me further forward, nearer and nearer to these Rainbow Cascades. I… what's going on…? Miyako pauses after few steps. She looks around her quickly, breathing hard. It's obvious she's somewhat nervous and I must admit this troubles me a little. Every fibre and synapse in my body's fizzling with anticipation, and I've no idea why. This isn't related to… Motomiya… fighting… covered in sweat and water in a rainbow hued lake, cheered by the soft gurgling of a cascade… shirtless. I… hope… not. No, no, this isn't related to that. At all.

I'm startled out my thoughtful daydream when Miyako whoops, and I'm suddenly shoved rather roughly forward. I look behind my shoulder helplessly as Miyako grins at me, wrapping an arm around my feminine twin's shoulder proudly. They look at each other, a look of pleading apology crossing Miyako's features, while a cross of teasing rage flickers in the other girl's eyes. She's smiling teasingly, pouting cutely as she whips around. Her smirk leaves her face when Miyako turnsher face back towards her with soft, gently hands. The brunette closes her eyes and takes in the feeling of Miyako's warm skin for a moment and when her eyes open again, they're the most brilliant golden, the deepest ginger, and they twinkles. With her hands, she tenderly caresses Miyako's face. And the lavender haired girl leans in closer, brushing her lips against hers softly.

I whip around, cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but I suppose I did the wrong thing, since my breath catches painfully in my throat. The Lake is a feast of crystal azure and shimmering purple, opalescent hues dancing over the rippled surface. The magnificent cascades stands, proud, as a passageway between earth and heaven, roaring its enchanting rage for both the mortals and immortals to hear. And in the middle of the magnificently set backdrop, two boys are fighting, or dare I say, dancing, at the rhythm of a music I fail to hear. 

Shining little drops dance around them as they move, quivering crystals run down their skin. Motomiya's hair is plastered to his face, swaying wildly with each step of this dance. His skin glistens, like Miyako told me, water running lazily down his rippling muscles to hide under the hem of his pants, whose first button is undone teasingly. I… 

"Look at him, Ken." Miyako whispers from behind me. "Can you still say his skin is repelling to the eye? Doesn't it…" 

"Look like honey?" The girl in her arms breaths out softly, snuggling closer to Miyako. 

"Or sweet, hot cocoa?" Takaishi offers, walking up to me to rest his elbow over my shoulder, his chin dug in his forearm. I shake my head slowly, swallowing rather soundly. 

"And the way the light sets his burgundy hair in fire? Isn't =that= appealing?" Miyako presses on. I shake my head again, denying… everything they'd like me to admit. No… he's not… no… 

"Aren't they… mesmerizing, though?" Takaishi whispers a little too close to my ear, and this time I've to nod, carefully. "Unlike you people of Slayelth, we train our bodies, minds and souls since childhood. I bet all you people do is train your nobles to act politely and you soldiers to use magic…" I nod again, frowning a little. "You'll never see us using Tear Orbs while training. They kill Gaia, you know?" 

I move away from Takaishi's touch, unaware of the grin he flashes to me and then to Miyako. I know… but… I'm too carried away by the scene playing in front of me to really care. I've never seen someone move like that, and focus becomes a difficult task. So strong and gently, swiftly and elegantly all at once, they move. When I was permitted to see our soldiers practicing, it was only to see them throwing Tear Orbs to one another. Opening wounds and slices they'd afterwards heal with Green healing Orbs. But this… I never saw anything like this. There's rage and quietness, force and ease mixed together in something unique. Mesmerizing, even. 

As I keep staring, mutely, there's a swift change in the rhythm of the dance. It becomes angrier, quicker. Taichi leaps forward, swinging his balled fist around swiftly, aiming it at Motomiya's face.The boy twists his head to a side at the last instant, the wind ruffling his spikes as the punch flies past him. He snaps backward sharply, and swings his left leg upward, connecting with Taichi's shoulder, while his right leg flew past his left and continues, flipping him upside down. Using his hands as support, he burrows them in the swallow water and jumps again, trying to kick the other boy in the process, to land once again on his feet, knees bent and legs spread in an attacking stance.

The two exchange a smirk, each waiting for the other to do the first move. And then they're suddenly running toward each other… as if to meet in an embrace… only to once again let their bodies meet in a fistfight. Taichi tenses his muscles and shots forward, suddenly. As predicted Motomiya dodges to the right with amazing agility, a frantic dance of shimmering droplets accompanying his every move. The older boy turns in mid-air, baring his teeth, and with all his strength swings a fist into Daisuke's body and, surprisingly, misses him. His own hands curling around Taichi's arm, and using his grip as support, Motomiya ducks, managing to deliver a fast uppercut to the older boy's chin.

As Taichi flies backward, Motomiya grins… and that's when he notices me. Our eyes lock, and he smiles at me, almost glowing in golden sunlight. I find my lips curve up in a smile, hunching my shoulder instinctively. And it's amazing to see how this little gesture makes his whole face light up. He moves a step toward me, when, with a low growl, Taichi swoops, catching Motomiya in an unbreakable grip, pinning his arms to his sides and his back to the ground, bringing their faces closer to whisper something to him …

I watch numbly as he moves closer…and closer… and closer… and closer… and…

I… I… I…

**~*~ Dai's POV~*~ **

I struggle madly under Taichi'sgrip, pinned in place by both his strong hands and his intense stare.

"Let me go!" I cry, struggling even harder than before.

"Not quite yet." He replies, the grin on his face turning in a more mysterious one. "I still have to pay you back for what you did to me before you left for Slayelth."

"I said I'm sorry." I glare up at him, electrocuting him with an evil glare. "Isn't that enough?"

"Nope." He answers, pressing his whole body against mine. "You've been a bad boy, Dai. Not only you went against your boss's orders, but even tricked him and mortified him."

I smirk up at him, feeling bold. "Oh? Your naked butt froze while waiting for someone to get you out of that bathroom?"

"Nope." He smirks yet again, lowering his face closer to mine. As I'm about to open my mouth to reply to him sharply, I quickly shut it, realizing he has a strange look in his eyes… He has something in his mind, his whole face exclaims it… and it surely isn't an argument. I suddenly panic and he smirks, his eyes lowered to tiny slits.

"That was the funniest part of the whole thing. You're an awesome seducer Dai, you knew that?" I shake my head no, an uncertain and apologetic smile tugging the corners of my lips.

"N-no…?" I half-reply, half-ask, licking my lips slowly. His eyes travels downward to my mouth immediately, and his voice lowers to a husky tone that makes me shiver.

"Well, you're." He says slowly, his hot breath fanning against my cheeks. "And I want to get the taste you promised me."

"YOU?!" I squirm madly, feeling the blush tingeing my cheeks, hot and wet. He isn't serious… is he?! I panic, looking at his face inching closer painfully slowly. I swallow, realizing we're so close that just a couple of millimetres and he could brush his lips against mine. "T-Tai...?" My voice decides to leave me on my own when I notice with a gulp that Taichi's creeping even closer, slowly. His lids flutter down, and I'm not sure of what I should do. My first kiss… I wanted it to be with Ken, dammit! But… Ken hates me…

Give a kiss to someone you don't like… isn't this wrong? I thought so… does Taichi like me, then? I know he cares, but… I thought… that was different. And I… no matter how much I like him, I don't *like* him. Not enough to give him my first kiss, though… but a kiss… only a kiss… if Taichi wants it… does that make it right? Oh, what do I do?! Will I do it? Will I…? Will… I…?

Taichi moves closer, his breath a moist hot caress over my face.

Will I?

Y-yes… a kiss. Only one kiss. I close my eyes, gently tilting my head up. I'm doing it. I'm…

"NOO!" the cry, desperate and high, snaps me back to reality. My eyes snap open and I roughly push Taichi away, while he's busy searching for whoever screamed, and send him splashing unceremoniously on the water. He yelps as he sinks down underwater, re-emerging only to cough out a mouthful of water. I look around, surprised and relieved that someone stopped be from doing what could have revealed to be the biggest mistake of my life, when I spot Ken.

His clenched fists are pressed almost painfully against his chest, his beautiful features twisted in a look of pain. Immediately, his fists unclench and damp palms presses against his mouth, a look of horror tingeing his face. He looks at me with wide eyes, shacking his head slightly. I look at him as he lowers his hands, revealing a delicious blush that makes me blush in response. I watch, with my eyes reaching the size of teacups as he shakes his head again and bites his bottom lip, mortified.

That's when it finally clicks. I blink, incredulous. Ken… Ken stopped me from kissing Tai?! Ken... Ken didn't only stop me, dammit! He yelled 'no'! And he sounded rather scared by the possibility to see me kiss Tai!! This means… he cares? I mean… that he…? Oh, my… my cheeks turn hotter, and I bet they're redder and brighter than a Fire Orb when it's casting a spell. Ken's blushing too… this delicious tone of pink tinges his high cheekbones as he licks his lips carefully, his hands clasping and unclasping against his chest. He shots me a glance, glassy purple staring at me from underneath velvet black lashes, and he suddenly ducks his head again, turns around and runs.

I scramble to my feet without even processing a complete thought on what I'm doing, slipping several times on the squashy mud. The crowd opens as Ken passes through it and, luckily for me, it doesn't close in on me when I dash madly after him. I notice his Wormmon trying his best to run after him, but it's clear is rather difficult for him to reach such a quick pace. Swooping, I swing out a hand to tug him to my chest. The green thing looks up at me questioningly, but I shrug, my eyes following Ken's every movement.

"I know buddy, we gotta catch Ken." I let out a screech, gritting my teeth in panic when I notice him throwing himself in the depths of the Sleeping Forest. "Goddammit Ken, that place's =dangerous=!!" I shriek, holding Wormmon closer to my chest.

"D…a…i?"

"Shh, save the words for later, little buddy. I've the slight feeling Ken will rather talk to you than to me. After all, talk's difficult for you, ne?" Mutely, the digimon lowers his eyes to the ground, nodding almost ashamedly, and I find my jaw clenching. Damn… Ken seems so attached to this digimon… if he goes crazy, what will be of Ken? Wormmon has been the only one he's allowed to approach him, save for Miyako, since he got here. And I think I'm right when I say if they're so close is because Wormmon has been the only one he's allowed to approach him for a long, long time.

Finally, we reach a little clearing, and in the middle there's Ken, curled in a ball of muffled sobs. I let out a sigh, gently placing Wormmon to the ground and looking silently as he crawls toward Ken, casting a galnbce back at me from time to time. I take a deep breath and stand, leaning against a tree for the time being. As soon as Wormmon's green paw pats Ken's arm, he looks up, his midnight-blue hair swinging softly as his head snaps upward. Tears pour down his cheeks one after another until it becomes uncontrollable. He holds onto Wormmon like he's a stuffed animal, bringing his face up to the hollow of his neck. Seeing Ken sob like that, his whole form racked by heavy shivers, makes my heart skip a beat.

Wormmon looks up me then, gesturing me to come closer. I comply, resisting the urge to dash to Ken's side and hug him, and slowly knelt beside him. I reach out to touch him, but then decide against it, dropping my hand.

"I…Ichijouji?" He looks up into my eyes, a quivering tear sliding down his cheek and leaving a red trail behind. I'd wipe it away if I didn't know how much he despites my touch.

His eyes are as dark as the sky above, shadowed by hundreds of intertwined dark branches and black foliage. Ken's dark hair wavers in the cold breeze, like a blackbird's wings beating slowly. Despite it's still morning, everything here talks about night and darkness. A miasma of fireflies dances around us, and casts its twinkling glow onto us. That's with all the probability the most beautiful sight I've ever seen, and Ken is no small part of the stunning scenery. 

"What… do you want…?" He asks, slowly, and for once there isn't hatred in his voice.

"I…" He looks at me questioningly, and then shakes his head, adverting my gaze carefully.

"If you've nothing to say, please leave me alone I… I don't feel ready to go back yet. You can go tell the others I'm here."

"I… If you don't mind… I want to stay here with you…." He looks up at me, wide eyes filled with tears. Then he looks away again, shacking his head madly.

"Why are you making it so difficult?!" He shouts, holding onto Wormmon as if his life depends on that little contact. "You're making it so difficult! So difficult!" He shouts, his voice hitting a high note on the last few words. He's trembling madly now, and I'm not sure if touching him I'll ease these shivers or double them. Helplessly, I seek answers in Wormmon's light blue gaze, but his look is a mirror of my own worried confusion. I tentatively touch my fingertips to his shoulder, but Ken crawls away, before looking up at me. Tears cascade down his face and I feel so terribly helpless…

"I can't need you…" he whispers, soft voice tinged with pain. "I can't… I can't… I don't!" Ken has started to shake his head, biting down on his bottom lip. His whisper escalades in a shout and he whips around, pressing his back against a tree. "I don't need you, no!" He screams, the shaking in his arms increasing. I shake my head in response, completely lost. What… who said anything about him needing me? I… I need him, though. And even if he doesn't want me near him, I can't leave him alone in such a place.

I begin to crawl over him on my hands and knees, and in an agitation or nervousness he lets out a scream, squeezing his eyes shut. I hear a sharp cracking sound directly behind him and Ken immediately turns around, sucking in a sharp breath. A greenish elfin creature bares his teeth at him in a grimace that can barely be described as a grin. Ken backs away, but stops immediately when the creatures lets out a loud shrieks, his sharp canines and claws growing visibly longer.

The creature flies back, and then dives like a rocket at him. Ken shuts his eyes tightly, expecting his life to be torn away from him any second, and to have peace. As I dash toward Ken too, the monster suddenly changes trajectory, and crashes into the ground in front of him, showering him with sharp rocks. A cloud of dust emerges from the scattered ground to hide the monster, now free to move as it pleases. I scramble toward Ken as the creature emerges from the ground behind him and dives on him with a sickening high speed.

It misses its target, though, his sharp canine meeting tanned skin instead of ivory. I'm shielding Ken, holding him close to my chest with one arm, with the elfin gripping my other one hard with his teeth and both hands and feet, growling at me madly. I hit him carelessly, pummelling it on the ground. I let go of Ken and crawl after the creature when, with a shriek, it lets go of my arm leaps in the air, scurrying across the grassy ground to the hide in the depths of the forest.

I'm on my knees now, watching as the elfin retreats. I'm letting out laboured mouthfuls of ragged breath, holding my wounded arm close to my chest. That's when soft, warm fingers close around my wound carefully. I spin around, and find that Ken's crawled toward me. His head ducked, his hair a shiny curtains that shields his face, he's fingering the smoking welt halfway between my wrist and elbow.

He shakes his head slowly, and reaches out to undo the tie that holds his purple hair in place. He frees himself from the silky tie giving a slight toss to his head, eyes closed and lips parted. I inhale sharply as his long hair swirls around his face like a fly of shiny purple ravens. Long, disparate tendrils of silk frame his face, grazing his chin gently. On his back, his hair is longer, and covers his shoulders like a fine, silky mantel. And even this bizarre hairstyle doesn't spot his stunning gorgeousness.

He proceeds to carefully bandage my wound, his eyes never quite meeting mine. In fact he keeps staring to the ground even when he's done and I'm currently admiring his handwork.

"Idiot." He whispers at last, and I blink down at his bowed head, shocked.

"…what?"

"Idiot." He repeats, curling his fingers gently around my wrist. "You always hurt yourself… because of me… always…" he mutters between trembles. "Always… because of me… you bleed… you're… an idiot." He looks up at me for a moment, and I'm stunned to see the tears running down his cheeks. He rests his forehead against my chest, his hand uncurling from around my wrist to lay, soft and smooth, next to his clammy cheek, now pressed tightly in my shirt.

I move my hands tentatively, not knowing what to do. I want to hold him, but I can't. I shouldn't hold him, but I want. I can hold him, but I won't. God, everything's so confusing… and as I stand, motionless, listening to Ken's muffled sobs, he keeps whispering something that sounds suspiciously like, "You're making it so difficult…"

And this just makes no sense at all.

**~*~ End of chapter 03~*~**

***dazed* wow… I beat that b@$+@rd writer's block and finally wrote this. @_@ this isn't half as good as I hoped it to be, and I honestly think I may have rushed things a little, but… you're the judges. That was for you all that read this, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. =) **

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**See you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

A

**/N = In this chapter I'm gonna focus more on the plot and a bit less on the romance… this doesn't mean I won't have my delicious Daiken and Hiyako moments, though. ;)In this chapter, I'm explaining everything about Animas, the Guardianmon, and the deities that protect Gaia. Hope I'll do a good job!! ^^;; **

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**Disclaimer = Digimon, its characters and concepts are not mine, but belongs to the right owners. I'm just a writer that's borrowing them to write her ficcies. **

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**Couples = In this chapter… well, Daiken, Hiyako, a tiny bit of Taisuke, and microscopic hints of Takesuke and Iokeru. **

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**Warning = PG-13 for what can be found in later/previous chapters. **

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**_Heart of Steel - part 4___**** **

~*~ **Dai's POV~*~ **

I twiddle a piece of grass between my thumb and index fingers, doing my best not to focus on the boy curled in my arms, his hot breath against my skin, his tears sliding down my bare muscles to die on his lips, pressed against me as well as his whole body. 

Oi… wrong train of thoughts. 

A rush of heat almost submerges me as I realize how close we're, how he's leaning against me -can I hope?- trustingly. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind. Why can't I banish the thoughts of him from my mind? His hair… his lips… his eyes… his body curled against mine, dammit! They're nice but… they're making blood rushing in strange parts of my anatomy. It's… strange… I mean-- 

I gulp when I realize that, on their own accord, my arms have started to close around Ken. I stop them immediately, forgetting to breathe as I silently celebrate my success… when Ken shifts and my palm ends up pressed against his shoulder, making us both jump. I tumble backward, holding out my palms in defence. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!! I just wanted to comfort you, you were crying and all, and I wanted to be helpful and I found my hands inching closer to you and I stopped them, I really did! But then you moved and my efforts were in vain, 'cuz my hand ended up on your back and--" 

He blinks at me, tipping his head to one side - and there goes his hair again, swinging in the breeze and making me melt inside… damn! 

"You want to… comfort me?" He asks, carefully, cutting my babbling off. 

"Of course!" I reply, trying to hide the fact that I'm a little too overexcited to have him near. "People do always help who's in need when they can, right?" 

"You… think so…?" he asks, tentatively, and I nod fervently, my trademark grin plastered over my lips. 

"You bet!" 

"And… why… would they?" I blink, and he shakes his head, lowering his gaze to the ground. "Why would you… want to help me?" 

"Dude, you don't need a reason to help people. I just wanted to ease your pain, that's all!" He mumbles something I can't understand and looks at me for a moment, before turning back to the grass, looking troubled. 

"What's wrong Ken…?" I ask him, placing a comforting arm on his back… and jumping away when he looks up at me in alarm. 

"Sorry!" I yell. He blinks at me, and I've the impression he's shaking… Trying to lighten the mode I grin, reaching out to slap my hand. "You bad hand, always doing whatever you want without waiting for me!" And winch in pain when the slaps finds its mark, making my wound vibrate. As I'm busy cursing, yelling, wailing and holding my injured arm Ken looks up and turns to sit between my legs. He leans against my chest, wrapping his arms around his upper body. 

=THAT= catches me completely off guard. Not that I've objections!!! But… so suddenly… what…? 

"Ken?" I ask, swallowing as he creeps even closer. He says nothing, lowering his head to press his cheek against his shoulder. "Ken?" again nothing. I try again and at the fourth try the bulbs lights up in my head. "Ichijouji?" 

"Hm?" He asks, sounding so calm and controlled I swear it makes my jaw hit the ground. 

"Uh… I… why did you…" 

"You wanted to provide comfort. I was feeling like I could use it." His voice's soft, and its sound reminds me of the quiet gurgle of the river that runs all around Aria, feeding the Rainbow cascades. I melt in its sweetness, but suddenly it hardens, snapping me back to reality. "Though this is a one time thing, Motomiya. Don't fan your hopes." Suddenly, his voice shifts again and he seems… amused? "You're still a freak to my eyes… even if I'm forced to admit I find honey and cocoa both to my liking." 

I can SWEAR what I'm hearing now is a chuckle, but I'm too engrossed in the feeling of Ken pressed against me to care… or to ask what the heck he's talking about. I wonder what goes on in this pretty head of his… or better, I'd wonder, if he wasn't snuggling closer to my chest. 

"Tell me..." He begins to ask and then breaks off, exhaling softly. 

"Tell you..?" My eyebrows shot up, and I lean toward him a bit. I bit my bottom lip lightly, one hand dancing toward Ken's arm. When I touch him, surprisingly, the one that moves away as if burned is me. I try again, and again I retreat, but this time my hand remains closer to his arm, so that another try takes less than the precedent. I try again, and again and again, touching him only to bolt after a millisecond, until, finally, I wrap my arm around him, my right hand curled gently around his left arm. He makes a motion that -from my position- resembles a nod, so I move my other arm around him too, pressing my palm against his other arm. I grow bold and draw him closer and not only he doesn't pull away, like I sort of expected, but instead leans in a little further and -MY GOD!- rests his head against my shoulder. I'm going to faint. If this is a dream do =not= wake me, okay? 

"Tell me about…" he begins again, swallowing almost inaudibly. "Yourself. What you did… before everything." I blink at the question, honestly confused. 

"Oh. Uhm, err... sure." I crane my neck, tipping my head to one side and then another, searching for words… "Uh… I'm not all that interesting I-Ichijouji…" I swallow, suddenly aware of the strange way my body's reacting to his closeness. "Why don't ya… ask?" 

He nods, his hair tickling my chin and neck in the process. "What… do you like to do?" 

"Draw!" I reply, instinctively. "Painting sets my imagination free. It's cool. I'll show you my works someday. And I like everything that needs your imagination to live… clouds for example." 

"Do you like… watching clouds?" 

"More than anything…" I reply, reluctantly moving one of my arms from around him to point a wandering wisp of cotton candy between one twisted dark branch and another. "Look… there's my house, there. And that's the church. That other one is Miko, Hikari's cat… and that's Wormmon! Look!" 

The green caterpillar begins bunching, looking around in awe. And this time I'm sure Ken's giggling. "But I bet you see other things, Ken. That's what's cool with clouds. Everyone sees something different. I think ya see what you need to see in a passing cloud, ya know?" 

"Yeah…" He sighs, and I look down at him in adoration. 

"But what's really cool is =who= you watch them with. If you're doing it with a special person, it becomes special…" He nods slowly, and I can picture the thoughtful frown creasing his lips. 

"Everything in this world gains a deepest meaning depends on whom you share the experience with." I nod, even if I don't know what good it can make since he can't see me, and lift my gaze up to the sky again. 

"Have you ever…" Ken sighs, reaching down to stroke the grass wavering beside him… and near my leg. God… "Played with a discarded junk, found somewhere in a secluded corner of your room to blow bubbles? Challenging your brother to make bubbles bigger than yours? And laughing merrily, like only kids know how?" 

"Oh, yeah!" I reply dreamily. "I've always loved bubbles. There are lots of enchanting things in this world, as magic, but I reduce to a giddy three-years-old in front of bubbles. I've always had." I shift, finally relaxing and finding a more comforting position… even if, I must admit, I'll never finds something more WONDERFUL that sit down with Ken snuggled in my arms. "Hikari used to tease me, telling me I wanted to learn how to fly, and that's why I liked clouds and bubbles." 

"Flying must be wonderful." He states softly. "It takes you close to heavens. The realm of Gods we all come from and yearn to go back to…" 

"Heaven?" I mutter, squinting my eyes in the almost darkness. "There's no place uglier than Heaven." He tips his head backward to look up at me, lips almost brushing my chin, and I shrug, looking anywhere but to his lips. "I don't want to learn to fly, reach Heaven or whatever. I'd like just to… find happiness, wherever it lies, on this planet, in this life. Not in Heaven. And to give happiness to the people I'll meet during my life, too. That's what I want." His eyes grow wide, wider than they've ever been, and he's even more beautiful than usual. He shakes his head slightly, awed, and then lowers his eyes onto Wormmon. 

"Despite… liking… boys… you're… a good person?" he whispers, and I blink down at him. Before I can reply, he's speaking again, playing with a piece of grass as I was doing earlier. "Have you ever killed?" 

"I…" I swallow, dropping my hand over his and squeezing it gently. I can't help but sigh, a warm feeling flowing through my body. "I fear I've. In a battle, you fight to survive. I've never aimed my weapons or my Tear Orbs to someone with the intent of killing… but the doubt is here, and I can't wash it away, no matter what. And it is enough to make me feel guilty." 

"You're feeling guilty… over something… you're not sure you've done…?" I nod, clumsily, and for an eternity we do nothing but listen to each other's breath, our hands linked. 

Abruptly, the spell breaks and Ken snatches his hand out of mine and stands up, dusting himself off. "We'd better get going. We've a meeting waiting for us." I nod and stand up, following him and Wormmon down the path that sneaks through the wood toward the town. Ken's back to his cold self, I can sense it, but… what has just happened? I'm happy he opened up with me… even if it has been only for a second. And I'm happy he can't see my face, also. I'm blushing again. There's one single though stuck in my mind… him. They way he has snuggled close to me… talked with me… and squeezed my hand back. 

~*~ **Takeru's POV~*~ **

"No, I haven't seen him. Sorry, Takeru." 

"Oh, don't worry, Jyou!" I reply with a grin, looking at him in the eyes for a moment before resuming to scan the crowded streets in search of Daisuke. "I'd just like to know where they went…" 

"Don't worry," he smiles, placing a hand on my shoulder and earning a long questioning look from me. "Daisuke knows what he's doing. He'll take care of Ken, no matter what." 

"THAT's what I dread." I reply with a scuff, crossing my arms. "That he's taking care of Ken even too good." 

Jyou squeezes my shoulder a little tighter, offering me a comforting smile. I sigh in response, letting my hands fall loosely at my sides. "I don't know why I bother." 

"You still like him don't you?" I nod clumsily, feeling an embarrassing heat creep over my cheeks. "Well, he =is= attractive, Takeru. Extremely attractive, if we want to be honest." He adds with a grin when I raise an eyebrow at him. With a chuckle, he lets go of my shoulder, waving a gloved hand at me. The oversized sleeve of his white coat wavers almost comically as he moves, and it's a wonder I suppress a chuckle."On the other hand, Daisuke has plenty of girls and guys that like him." 

"You're telling me…" My laughter dies in my throat and I roll my eyes, mutely naming all the ones that like him… and realizing in an heartbeat it would take less time if I counted the ones that seem NOT to like him. Ken. Simple. Or not. Maybe not even Ken dislikes Dai. Maybe he's just denying it… for reasons I can't grasp. 

"You'll get over it, Takeru. There are other fishes in the sea, you know. Fishes that maybe like you just as you think you like Dai." Once again I can only nod, air leaving my mouth in a resigned sigh. 

"I think I've fallen for Dai thinking we'd make a nice couple. Dai's erratic and unruly, while I'm… gee…" I pause, a frown twisting my face. "I once caught Taichi saying I'm so calm and composed that I'd win a silent-competition against a rock." I shake my head, dropping it, remaining immobile until the faint innuendo of what he said dawns on me. "Other fishes?" I say as I look up, raising an eyebrow at Jyou's amused look. "There's something I don't know, Jyou?" 

"Nope." He says with a lopsided grin. "And there isn't en emerald eyed creature crazily in love with you either." Taken aback, I blink, opening my mouth to ask him what he's talking about, when he suddenly pushes me away, his grin changing to his usual soft smile. "Daisuke! Prince Ichijouji! You made it just in time! Follow me!" He pats Daisuke's shoulder jokingly, almost shoving him toward the Cathedral, were Taichi and the other leaders are waiting for us. I take my time to think about what he said, my mind racing. 

"An emerald eyed creature…?" I whisper, completely clueless. "What's that? Armadillomon?" Sighing for what has to be the hundredth time in the past five minutes, I shrug, and then hurry to join Daisuke, Jyou and Ichijouji at the entrance of the Cathedral. 

As I move closer, I notice Ichijouji standing extremely close to Dai… so close it makes me frown. As if sensing my discomfort, Daisuke looks at me and smiles. But when he looks down at the boy inching even closer to him with each second that passes, slowly and clearly unconsciously, Dai says nothing, a dreamy expression on his face.A jealous pang twists my stomach as I wish that look were for me. Feeling a little bit… cruel, I grin at Ichijouji, pushing Dai away from him rather roughly. 

"Steel yourself, Prince." I shot Daisuke a quick glance, and then focus back on Ichijouji, that's blinking rapidly, shoulders hunched instinctively. "For you're about to see something breathtaking…" I notice Daisuke's eyes widen as he attempts to reach out for me, pointing the road that sneaks around the Cathedral to the back entrance, at the same time. Swiftly, and smirking very Taichi-like, I turn around and slam the immense wooden door open, tracing an arc in the air with one hand. "Welcome to our Cathedral, Your Highness." 

"Ichijouji…" he whispers almost inaudibly, moving his first, tentative step inside the structure… and freezing in the spot. His eyes grow wide, his mouth open and round in mute amazement. And when he finally says something, his voice is an amazed, cracked whisper. "…How magnificent!" 

"It's a beauty, isn't it?" I reply, trying my best not to raise my chin in pride. A quick glance at Daisuke's red cheeks, partially hidden behind his hands helps, but summons in my throat a laugh I can barely subdue. "If we ever got scolded for pranks as kids, Dai and I used to hide here. And that balcony up there is where he used to play with bubbles." 

"Takeru, stop telling those old stories, it's embarrassing! Let's_just_reach_Taichi!" he says deliberately slowly, his gritted teeth bared in what should be an intimating look; but his bright red cheeks make it almost comical. I chuckle, waving at him absent-mindedly as I step forward. 

"As you wish, Dai. This way." 

"Couldn't we walk outside?!" He shrieks, noticing both Ichijouji and Jyou walking up to my side to admire the view. 

"And let Ichijouji lose this enchanting sight? Dai, you're such an =egoist=!" I reply, my tone pitched to deliberate mock-outrage. Daisuke's arm twitches, but he gives out no other sign of disagreement as he -head dropped down and shoulders sagged- walks up to our little group. I look down at Ichijouji's awed face, grinning lopsidedly down at him. Luckily he isn't paying attention to me, or else he's be bolting… or… throwing himself in Daisuke's arms, since they seem so much more close now. 

I break out laughing, quickly covering the sound with a cough, as I picture Ichijouji running into Daisuke's arms… and Daisuke turning to me and ask, 'what do I do, now?!'. Very Daisuke-ish. Uhn-uhn. I can =so= picture his clueless expression as I motion to him to hold the boy… and he still doesn't understand. 

Once again I laugh, wiping a little tear at the corner of my eye. I'm giving him up. And it's less painful that I thought. Seeing them together made it possible, I think. I must look crazy, but I don't care. It's not like anyone is paying attention to me right now, since they're all engrossed in other things. The kaleidoscopic-like Cathedral we're in; the incredible paintings it sports, and Ken. Well, the latter draws only Dai's attention, but still… 

I turn to look at the purple haired boy that captured Dai-chan's heart as he moves his head around and then takes a step forward, swirling slowly to take a good look at the wonderful paintings that embellish the walls of the church. Light from the stained glass window shines on us, reflecting in strategically placed glasses and mirrors, filling the room with rainbow-hued fragments of light that enlightens the paintings in a complicate and enchanting game of light and shadow strategically designed to make the already wonderful pictures all the more beautiful. 

"It's wonderful isn't it?" He nods slowly, his eyes shining like a kid's in a sweet store. 

"…breathtaking!" He lets his eyes wander around, surveying each and every figure with almost eagerness. Not a single 'mon, man, deity, fairy creature or angel escapes his awed eyes, but he carries particular attention to the Guardianmon frowning down at us from the walls, each placed on the one that represents the cardinal point he protects. "What a brilliant piece of artistry this is…" His voice trails off when his gaze aligns on the immense altar winking at us in golden light. His eyes focus on the immense, golden glided cross, and then somewhere behind it. His breath catches in his throat as he moves forward, tentatively, as if in a dream. 

I follow Ichijouji's stare and immediately look back at him, noticing how he drinks every detail of the figure eagerly. It is an incredibly huge digimon, with red wings spread out behind his back, his blue head embellished with a crown of sorts, his black armour shining in the eldritch light he seems to emanate. 

"Imperialdramon." I offer. "The Guardian of north." 

"That's… Imperialdramon…?" I nod, even if he isn't looking at me, and notice how his whole body seems to sag. "That's the creature of my dreams…" he says slowly, and again I nod, frowning it thought. 

"They say Guardianmon speak with us mortals through dreams." He nods again and then stops, just few steps in front of the wall. 

Ichijouji reaches out with trembling hands, to finger the shadows features of the dark angel portrayed with sapient strokes just below Imperialdramon, its black wings cupped around its naked body, its head bend down so that its face is shielded by it and made invisible, its arms wrapped around its torso. 

"This is… wonderful…" he whispers in an exhalation, his voice barely above inaudibility. 

"And the beautiful young Angel portrayed is quite beyond comparison too…" Jyou adds as he moves closer to him, fingering his glasses. The purple haired boy nods absentmindedly and, with a chuckle, I realize Daisuke's cheeks are now redder than a Fire Orb. 

"Did you notice that the Angel has black wings…? And on further inspection, it looks somewhat masculine… Now these are unusual features, aren't they? According to legends Angel's wings are snowy… and usually these depictions are not gender-specific…" Ichijouji nods slowly as Jyou begins babbling about the technique and the obvious talent of the painter, his fingers still crawling up and down the Angel's lean body softly. 

"This is… incomparable… but…" the boy pauses, sliding his hand up to brush one finger across the Angel's barely visible lips. "I sense an atmosphere of sadness in this picture. I can't see his face, but somehow, it gives the impression that he is… anxious. Perhaps waiting. But he's so sad… hurting…" 

"He is." Daisuke nods, and then moves away, moving toward the back door that leads to the meeting room. "That Angel… has been put there to symbolize that time when the Guardianmon joined the forces of Darkness in the War of One Thousand Years. It symbolizes Oikawa's… no, men's sins, too. In a way we can say he symbolizes… evil. Evil that doesn't want to be evil, but has to. I think… it would be sad to be forced to be someone you're not. That's why he seems so sad. He is." And with that he disappears behind the heavy black door that closes behind him like a seal. 

"What… was he saying…?" Ichijouji argues, and I sense his cold, unfriendly self cracking this quiet Ken's surface with arrogant force. He begins babbling about how could Dai, such a young boy, understand what such a genial painter wanted to express through this work, when I cut him off, waving a hand at him. 

"He =is= the painter Ichijouji. He spent his whole life on this." And with that, I follow Daisuke inside the meeting room. 

When Ken and Jyou finally follow, I shot a quick glance at them and so does Daisuke, out of the corner of his eyes. Ken's dumbfounded, and when his and Daisuke's gazes meet, he shakes his head slowly, dropping it guiltily. Daisuke accepts him back with a smile, and moves closer to him to show him that. Ken smiles gratefully up at him for a second, before looking around rather worriedly at the people already chatting and discussing, whose focus has abruptly diverged to him as soon as he entered the room. 

Taichi's cold stare makes him shiver, and he instinctively moves closer to Daisuke, tightening a fist around his shirt. Daisuke looks down at him cluelessly, and then gently pushes him forward, toward the platform where he's supposed to stand as he speaks. Sighing, he reaches inside his shirt for his amulet and begins to explain. 

~*~ **Ken's POV~*~ **

"As you know, this world, Gaia, is under the protection of the four Guardianmon." I begin, slowly, surveying them all with a shiver. Then, I notice that not only Wormmon, curled up in Motomiya's arms- but Motomiya himself, Miyako and -surprisingly- Takaishi, Jyou and my 'twin' are silently cheering me up, smiling and transmitting me energy through their eyes, sparkling and deep. I try to smile back down at them, feeling my lips curve up only imperceptibly, but that's enough for them as they smile up at me even warmer.

"And two superior beings, the Deity of Light and the Deity of Darkness, have been fighting to take over this world since its birth. The Guardianmon are not creatures of Light, nor of Darkness. Their only aim is to protect Gaia, and therefore they can become vessels of the Deity of Darkness' power if its plans could - in the end- grant Gaia prosperity." I nod again, and they all nod back at me, my cherry-eyed twin snuggling closer to Miyako's chest and sighing softly before gesturing me to go on.

"In the Battle of One Thousand Years, in different moments, Guardianmon supported both the Deity of Light and the Deity of Darkness, in a warfare that brought to the recent conflict between Slayelth and Elenyak. At first, Guardianmon stood by the Deity of Light's side, but the power of Darkness was too overwhelming, mostly because it seems the Dark Deity had incarnated in a young human being. Mankind clung to its only hope of surviving this war: Yukio Oikawa." A single, shocked gasp surges from the audience, and I nod gravely. "The sinner who caused the partial destruction of this world."

"Legends say that, as a punishment to his sin, a terrible plague destroyed him and his team of scientists, erasing from the face of the planet most of the green as well. What the Ancient tests don't say, but that I found after years of research, is exactly =what= that sin and that plague were." I pause, lowering my eyes to my hand, curled around my amulet. "Yukio Oikawa played God, and created life. The Guardianmon saw this act as a menace for Gaia and briefly turned against mankind and monkind, supporting the force of Darkness until they deleted Oikawa. Surprisingly, this brought the two factions close to the end of the conflict, and to the victory of the Light. As you all know, the leader of the Dark forces, the human body that worked as vessel for the Deity of Darkness was destroyed. Before dying, though, this Deity found a way to disable the Guardianmon's powers. And their temporary deletion is what caused that unknown virus to spread through digimon and private them of the capacity to talk."

I lick my lips, taking a deep breath in through a wide open mouth. "Darkness managed to split each Guardianmon's body in several pieces. One is their Anima." A green eyed child raise one hand at this, and I grant him permission to talk with a nod.

"Forgive me for asking, but…" he pauses, furrowing his eyebrows in a look of concern. "What's an Anima?" I nod at him, and he sits back down, snuggling closer to Jyou as if in search of protection.

"That was a very pertinent question." I look around, letting my eyes hook briefly with the ones of everyone around. I show them my charm, that's dangling rhythmically between my thumb and index finger, reflecting the light in a soft pearly glow. "That's an Anima." I nod again, cautiously laying the gleaming gem back on my chest. "In the Ancient Language, an anima is a soul." Again everyone gasps, sharing confused and awed whispers with whoever is close enough to ear. "Actually, this is the soul of Omnimon, the Guardian of South. This is part of the Royal treasure, but it's the key to your victory, too."

"What do you mean?" Taichi spats, placing one hand on his hips and the other around Motomiya's shoulders, possessively.

"If we offer this Anima to his Temple, Omnimon will awake. And once you'll have the power of the Guardians in your hands, you'll have the victory there too."

"Dude…" Motomiya says, frisking free of Taichi's grip. "But isn't Omnimon's Temple due South, in the Slayelth territory?"

I nod, strangely pleased to see Taichi's tanned features twist in a frown when Motomiya steps away from him and closer to me. "Indeed. In fact, the royal Palace is built around the Temple, and we could venture to say they're one in the same. But I know the location of the other Temples. All of them. I drew a map, and I'm willing to explain to you how to awake each Guardian." Motomiya gifts me a broad grin, and my lips curve up on their own accord, my face almost aching for all this smiling, which I'm not used to. "Imperialdramon's Temple is to north, in the Aegis Forest. Shakkumon's is in the Megillah Desert. And last, Silphymon's temple is hidden in the Shimmering Lakes."

Again Motomiya grins, and offers me a hand to help me descend the four steps that separate us, when Taichi scowls, pushes Motomiya away roughly and glares at me.

"This is nonsense, Ichijouji." He growls, his tone low and threatening. He places a palm on my chest and pushes me backward, and he'd do it again if Motomoya didn't stop him, trapping his arm in an iron grip.

"What are you saying, Tai?" He inquires, his voice no less dreadful that the other boy's.

"If we just need to take the Anima to the temple, why Omnimon didn't awake since the jewel was already in his temple?" He pauses, smirking arrogantly down at me. "You said your Palace =is= the Temple, and that the Anima was in the Palace, so…" he leaves the sentence hanging, already savouring… I'm not sure what. Victory, I presume, but it's not clear to me what we were fighting for in the first place.

"You're completely right." I reply, glaring at him through half lidded eyes. "As you're hinting to, to awake, the Guardianmon need something more than their Anima. A heart the power of light resides in must summon them. And there's no one so kind-hearted in my castle. And then, they need a digimon body to posses. The right one."

"And you know them all, I suppose?" he raises a hand to hit me, but Motomiya steps between the two of us, glaring at his leader. On instinct, I grab two fistfuls of his shirt, pressing my body closer to his. I wonder… what's this feeling that comes over me when he protects me like this… I feel safe… like never before. No one has ever tried so much to protect me, even hurting themselves to save me.

Truly, I had dozens of soldiers protecting me back at the castle, but I've never need protection, since I never really left the tower I've been confined in for the last years, and when I did, which was when my brother had to go around Shania for a special talk with his people, and wanted to show off my forced reclusion wasn't killing me, I was surrounded by soldiers. They were there to protect me, but they would just stare at me, with not any expressions at all. I felt like mannequins were just staring at me soullessly. Never, never before I've felt so... safe.  


"No." I admit slowly. "But we can figure their names out once in the Temples. If I need to visit the Temples is just because in each of them there's an inscription with the name of the 'mon that will be the vessel of the Guardian's power. Omnimon's destined vessel is WarGreymon, or MetalGarurumon. Or both. I can't tell, for the wall in his Temple was too ruined."

"We've no way to reach Omnimon!" He roars, and I see someone taking hold of his shoulders to prevent him from leaping forward. Instinctively, I move closer to Motomiya, who spreads a hand out to offer me better protection. "This is useless! You fanned our hopes only to crush them! You're a spy, aren't you?!"

"No!" I shake my head, my voice gaining a shocking pleading tone. "I'm here to help you! I want to save Gaia just as much as you! I'd never--" I take a step back and swallow the rest of my sentence as Taichi manages to free himself, his fists pointed menacingly toward me. His arms are shacking, though, and I blink. Trying to suppress this inexplicable anger of his, the tan skinned boy takes few, calming breathes, steels himself and then steps closer.

"How can," He yells, the shaking in his arms increasing once again. "A simple =kid= know what dozens of researchers and priests are still trying to understand, uhn?" He regards me scornfully, looking me over quickly.

I shake my head, tightening my finger in the shirt Motomiya wears. "I studied! I did researches, I tried and tried until I found this!" Once again he makes fun of me, and I quickly shake my head again, my voice rising to a shriek when I finally answer.

"I tried! I truly did! I was trapped, for more than five years, in a tower where there was nothing but books, books and books! I had no choice but to go on on my own! And what was that formed my prison's walls and the same time provided me my only way out?! The books! And I =had= to study them! I had no choice but find these answers when I didn't even had the questions, permitted to leave my golden glided cage only to be showed as an odd animal in the streets, or to be…" I raise my hand from Matomiya's shirt to clutch my shoulder almost painfully, biting my bottom lip before words could escape my mouth.

My "opponent" lowers his fists, and stand in a position of thought as I slowly release both my shoulder and Motomiya's shirt. "Gaia's dying. And it's my brother's fault. I want to help. That's the only truth I can give you. Perhaps is not a truth you like, or even not a truth you could believe. But that's the only truth I have." Taichi lowers his eyes to his hands, clenching and unclenching them rhythmically. I gain some courage from his silence and move closer, a hand placed on my chest. "We need the power of the Guardianmon." I reply slowly, sensing Motomiya's body tremble with a strange emotion... I'd call it anger… or… worry. "We just need to find the inscriptions and bring the Anima and the vessel digimon together."

"We don't have time to take your pretty ass around in search of these inscriptions!" He snaps, his quiet façade all but gone. "The Emperor's army could strike by any moment!"

A pause follows, an uncomfortable silence wavering flatly in the air. And then Motomiya steps forward, raising his chin proudly. "Taichi." He says slowly, a darker tone I've ever heard him use echoing in his voice. "Jyou and Koushiro both can read the Ancient Language. Send them to the East and West temples, and provide them with a little escort. I'll take Ken to the North temple. No questions." He adds threateningly when the taller boy opens his mouth to object, and then takes my hand, pulling me toward the front door. Once there, he swirls around, placing his eyes on Jyou.

"Decide who will escort you." He orders, and then repeats the same to a red-head boy I suppose to be Koushiro. "When you're ready, we'll depart. And make it short, 'cuz me and Ken are leaving in an hour." The boys both nod at him and then he looks at me and smiles, not moving of an inch until I smile back at him, and then bring us out, the bright daylight forcing my eyes close.

~*~ **Hikari's POV~*~**

"We're talking about a very dangerous mission, Hikari!" Taichi pleads with me. In vane, I should add. Not even turning to face the two of us, Koushiro flips his blood-red cape over his shoulder.

"Hikari is the commander of the second division and Miyako's the commander of the fourth. Nefertimon, Aquillamon and MegaKabuterimon are in order one of the most agile, fast and strong digimon we've." He pauses, hopping onto MegaKabuterimon scaly arms. "That's quite a bit of a powerful team, if you don't mind my saying."

"But… you're heading one of the most dangerous zones of the planet! I can't let the three of you go alone! We're talking about a flooded maze here!" Taichi shrieks, still trying to gain my attention. At my side, Miyako pulls her lips back in a broad grin.

"That makes it easier to get lost in it, uh?" She chuckles, watching my older brother's face fall.

By the look on his face, the way he's furrowed his brows and squinted his eyes, it's easy to understand he's racking his brain for a reason that could somehow convince me and Miyako to reconsider our decision to follow Koushiro. I shrug, finally acknowledging him.

"We can make it, Tai." Hoisting my bag between Nefertimon's shoulders, I hop onto her back, her huge wings fanning around me and giving my hair a soft breeze to play with.

"Taichi." Nefertimon speaks, moving few steps forward and walking past Taichi. "Hikari's safe with me. I'd give my life before letting anything touch her." She nods solemnly, and halts, folding her wings. "I'm not going to lie to you. The task that awaits us is difficult and the journey filled with obstacles, but if there's someone that can make it, is us."

"I know, but…" he walks around Nefertimon, looking up into my eyes once he halts. "Hikari-chan, please be careful."

"I'll be." I reply coldly, urging Nefertimon to move. Taichi stops us again, curling his arm around her neck. "What?" I ask, trying to be colder as I've ever been.

"Why are you so cold, dammit?!" he shrieks, his gaze pouring flaring outrage. "You're leaving for a mission that could be of no-return, are you aware of that?!"

"And are you aware of how =damn= childish you're, Tai?!" He blinks owlishly, his rage fading in a matter of seconds into shock. "You said it yourself, Taichi, Ken's a =kid=. He's thirteen, for God's sake! He lived through an Hell we can only imagine, he's scared, alone, trapped in a foreign land trying to help his former enemies to stop his brother, his own =brother=, dammit! Risking his life in the process too, and all you can do is try to hit him? Showing him an anger he doesn't deserve?!" Taichi backs away, and I take an instant to catch my breath.

"Why are you so jealous?! If Ken's a kid, then what does this make of Daisuke?! As far as I can remember you always regarded him as a man, didn't you?! And they're about of the same age!" I look down at his hurt expression and my voice softens a bit, but doesn't lose its angered quality. "That's not the Taichi I know! The Taichi I =thought= I knew would try to help Ken no matter what, like everyone else here is doing. Now, if you excuse me…" I bow my head politely, patting Nefertimon's neck to make her move.

Before she can though, Taichi steps in our way and shakes his head, lowering his eyes to the ground. Slowly, he looks back up at me, but it's only for a second, and then his eyes are on the ground again. Not able to stop, I reach out to touch his hand, smiling down at him with concern.

"Taichi…?" I whisper, studying his features, a perplexed expression registering on my face.

"I love him, Hikari." The words came out in a rush, unbidden, unrestrained, and he's sniffling, his whole body racked by heavy shivers of what seems rage. "You understand, right?...I've loved him since the beginning, and now…" A melancholy, cracked chuckle surges from his mouth and he wipes at his eyes angrily, even though they're dry. "But I guess that it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Tai…" He steps away, waving me off.

"I know. Don't worry, I always knew."

I follow his eyes and unsurprisingly find myself staring at Daisuke. He's been chatting with Jyou, Takeru and Iori as they carefully climbed on Ankylomon's back and now he's giving them last, few words of encouragement. With a quick wave their team departs, and -wasting not time- Dai swings immediately up onto the saddle of Pegasosmon, seizing the reins. Carefully, Ken strolls up to the two of them, and Pegasosmon lets out a happy squawk as the Prince goes to him and strokes his golden neck, softly. The digimon closes his eyes in delight and Ken reaches up to pat his head, with Daisuke chuckling madly all the time.

When Ken looks up at him with a small frown, Dai's shoulders quiver again, the laughter louder this time, and then he waves him off, grinning. Ken must be telling him something, since I can see Dai nodding, and then he hold his hand out to the dark-haired boy. He takes it hesitantly, and when Dai pulls him up behind him and helps him adjust on the saddle, he's reluctant to hold on to him.

"There's nothing to worry about!" Daisuke chirps, bouncing over Pegasosmon's back. "This digimon's strong enough to carry both of us!"

"But…" Ken glances up at him briefly, clasping and unclasping his hands.

"For the Guardianmon, Ichijouji, if anything happens he can overrun every kind of monster! And just in case, I'll be there!"

"Yeah, but…"

"Oh, come on, are you going to hold on or not?"

"Uhm… I…" Ken fidgets, looking everywhere but to Daisuke.

I blink. Daisuke too blinks, and then dissolves into laughter. 

"What's so funny?" Miyako asks as Aquillamon hops up to Nefertimon's side, and I shrug, watching as Daisuke struggles to slow his breathe to a resemblance of normal rhythm. At last, he finds his voice, and by now Ken's cheeks are of a terribly amusing red tone.

"Oh my, Ken!" He laughs, "You have nothing to worry about!" He swallows, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he manages to return to an upright position. "I have no intention of violating your honour."

Half Aria dissolves into laughter at that comment and I can barely see Ken's cheeks turning even redder, for my eyes are filled with tears of laughter. Miyako too is fighting not to fall off her digimon's back, and she would fail if it weren't for Aquillamon's quick response to each and every of her movements. Ken wrinkles his nose in a grimace of anger, and glares at Daisuke with glassy eyes, his cheeks flushed, looking at him the same way he was being looked.

"I just don't have much experience riding on a digimon. Thankyouverymuch."

Throwing his head backward with a laugh, Daisuke nudges Pegasosmon forward and with a squeak Ken puts his hands around Dai's waist, burying his face in his back. Pegasosmon gallops toward us, and I smiles gently at the three of them, reaching out to pat the digimon's armoured muzzle.

"Be careful okay? All of you."

"You too." Daisuke says with a nod. I nod back at him, and behind me Miyako lets out a squeak.

"She has the privilege to have me as her escort, she's gonna be fine!" With a laugh, Daisuke turns toward Taichi, and when their incredibly similar eyes meet, they both fall silent.

After a moment of shared hostility, Taichi shrugs, looking a bit sheepish. "Take care of the Prince, Dai. And I warn you: if anything happens to him, I'll punish you personally, ya heard me?!" I bit my bottom lip not to grin, but Daisuke doesn't care and flashes Taichi an incredibly radiant smile.

"I will Tai." Then, on impulse, he reaches out and traps him in a hug. "You too be careful, and don't do anything crazy while I'm not here to stop you… Taichi-niisan."

"Don't worry." Taichi grins back at Daisuke openly, but I can she his arms shaking when they move from around Daisuke. "Now go."

Nodding fervently, Daisuke urges Pegasosmon to the city gate, and once there pauses to wave at us, giving us a final grin before nudging Pegasosmon in a steady gallop, disappearing in the wood.

"Believe me I always knew." Taichi whispers to no one. "He can't think of me romantically, because he already thinks of me as family…" then he looks up at me, his grin tired and his concern true. "Come back home soon, Hikari-chan."

"I'll do it." I reassure with a smile, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

With that last promise, Nefertimon leaps up in the air, tracing large, lazy circles above Aria, letting me take a long, final look back at my home. But soon, all to soon, all can I see below me is an endless field of clouds.

**~*~ End of chapter 04~*~ **

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***sniffles* I feel sorry for poor Tai… but not enough to let him have Dai-chan. X Action, Romance, the rescue of the first guardianmon, more Hiyako, Iokeru and Daiken in the next chapter, plus.. a scene with my favourite, (if not only one I like) digimonxdigimon coupling!!!! *giddy*  
See you in the next chapter! **

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N = Forget the plot, it's couples time!! well, not really. Both action and romance in this, don't worry. And the story moves on, showing you the awakening of the Guardianmon and leading you to the chapter where I'll explain who (but not what! ;P ) the boy found hibernating in the ruin was. But you really think I could make things easy for the DD? Hikari, Miyako, Takeru, Iori, Jyou and Koushiro will find Shakkumon and Silphymon's Animas, and maybe more than that, but Ken and Dai *grins* will make an interesting encounter in the Aegis Forest. **

**Disclaimer = Ken, Dai, Takeru and all the original digimon characters you'll see in this fic belong to their rightful owners. The world where this fic takes place, the plot and everything you don't recognize from the TV show, is mine. ^^**

**Couples = Hiyako galore!! Hints of Iokeru, Daiken and Ken suke?  
Warning = PG-13 for scenes of fights and mild-violence. Minor cursing, too. **

_**Heart of Steel - part 5**_

**~*~ Hikari's POV~*~**

  
Nefertimon swings across the sky leisurely, letting me scrutinize the Shimmering Lakes region with sheer attention. I reach up to rub at my cheeks, glistening wet with azure water. Even the air is saturated with water here. Cotton candy, greyish-azure clouds flutter around us, blocking out the warmth of the sunrays, even if they can nothing against their brilliance, leaving us in an open cage of dampness.

The ground's an endless, flooded valley, and wherever eye can see there are crumbled ruins and lush, immense trees surging from the waters, dark mementos of a past we've lost forever, as well as wordless encouragement toward a renewed future.

Water water has been a dream for centuries and this place this place seems to keep all the water of the world, all the water of all time, here, nursing it gently in-between its greenish arms, shielding it from every danger. Despite its dangerousness, this place is the epitome of Gaia's will to keep living. It's so beautiful despite the predicament we're in I find my self enchanted by this place.

Nefertimon lowers down to brush the tips of her wings and her claws in the water, tracing swiftly, foamy lines over the glimmering surface and swings back up when a Seadramon leaps up from the flooded maze to greet us. I cling onto her neck, looking down as the huge serpent like creature struggles in the air for an endless moment, his wet scales refracting the light in a multitude of opalescent, pale blue-ish hues. Then, in a twinkle of blue, it tips his head down, and dips underwater, a shower of shimmering droplets welcoming its return. Its head emerges immediately afterward, though, and it scuffs across the lake to coil around the remains of a ruined tower and glares up at us, russet eyes blazing. 

His crimson blazing orbs follow Nefertimon's lean figure as she swirls in the air, and then, resignedly, tip his head backward to let out a roaring howl, before sliding under the surface again, few ripples on the sapphire blue surface of the lake the only hint of its passage. I guess my brother was right about this place being dangerous. That's the 15th digimon we met since we arrived here and it was just few hours ago. 

As I gaze down at the lake, I slowly dry my forehead yet again, pressing my palms against my face. So wet so wet   
I feel a small breeze graze the right side of my face and lean unconsciously in the faint, fresh caress.  
"Are you ill?" I open my eyes, meeting Miyako's concerned hazel eyes few inches in front of me, melted pools of honey that scream out with concern.  
"I'm fine" I answer softly, reaching out to touch her, my hands sliding down her tight and on Aquillamon's back, smoothening his russet feathers slowly. "I'm just not used to such humidity, that's all."  
"Are you sure you're not queasy?" She asks, and I smile at her, hearing something different in her voice, an echo more tender than she'd use when someone's around.

"Oh no!" I look at the surface of the water again. "Don't worry about me, Miya-chan."  
"How can I not?" she answers, grasping my hands in her and gently intertwining our fingers together. "When I" she pauses, blushing, and then looks away, a some kind of soft wonder igniting her eyes. I thought she was about to tell me this time. Despite the kisses, the hugs, the fact we're marrying shockingly, she never never told me she loves me. Never. In her defence I must admit I never did that either. Maybe we're not ready to say it but I love her so much. 

She's so sweet and honest, something maybe I'll never learn to be. She has a big heart, bigger then she knows. She's like Daisuke. He's proud and bright... he's my sunlight. Miyako is exactly the same as him, but... different. 

Maybe that's why I love her? Because she remembers me of Dai? No Daisuke may be my sun, but Miyako Miyako's my moon. So similar to him and yet so different. So special in her own way. So sweet so kind so proud and strong so Miyako so like someone I could fall in love with. And I did.   
I love Daisuke.   
I loved him.  
I love her.

I could never tell her, though... those three words never slide out my lips. No matter how hard I try, my throat always closes around them painfully. My Miyako I love you. I can't tell you aloud, but I can show you, for I really love you. You, and not any resemblance to Daisuke I could see in you. You're the one I want, then one that has my heart and will have it forever I wonder when I'll be able to say this aloud, though.  
I love you.

"We should land." I'm startled out my reverie by Koushiro's voice. I snap my hand away from Miyako's, as if burned, and blush, lifting my gaze to the towering blurred shape of MegaKabuterimon flying above my head.  
"What?" Miyako cups her hands around her mouth, raising her voice to a painfully pitched squeak. Koushiro's red head appears over the blur of his digimon's translucent wings and points his laptop proudly. Thanking God the war of One Thousand Year didn't erase every trace of technology from this world.

"We found the temple." He grins, his fluid cape billowing out gracefully behind him. Then, he disappears from view, and the immense digimon hoisting him speeds forward suddenly.   
"Even too easy." Miyako flashes me a grin, urging Aquillamon to fly quicker with a pat on the side of his neck. I do the same, not wanting to be left behind, and hook my gaze on our blurred reflection below. Nefertimon streaks over the surface of the water as if it was no more than a blue carpet. It takes only few moments for the shore to come into view, an ancient, half flooded epitaph looming over the golden sand, mysterious and grotesque. I'm grateful when my steed's feet touch solid ground, and slid down her back, holding onto her neck half for support and half to praise her. 

I move from her snowy, soft neck just in time to see Koushiro sliding off his digimon and leading it in front of the building, leaving him behind with a gently pat on his insect muzzle when he moves into the building through the broken front doors. Miyako climbs off her mount and leads it toward the small square where MegaKabuterimon is, and saluting him with a quick stroke on his golden beak, she follows Koushiro in, scanning her surrounding with fascinating intent. With a last stroke, I lead Nefertimon to the other two digimon, and move my first, hesitant step forward. I grimace as I pause outside the tower, though. I look up at this scattered heap of russet rock and emerald lianas, glimmering wet under the sunlight, towering and mysterious. With a deep breath I whirl around, my eyes focusing somewhere deep within the golden refractions that dance over the surface of the water. 

The calmness of a water surface is supposed to soothe the soul of any creature, no matter how frustrating his or her situation may be. Then why there's this strange ache gnawing at my heart? Something's bothering me. It's more a sensation that anything else, but I know there's danger here. Not only because Tai said so. Not only because I saw the Seadramon and the other digimon chasing after us. It's dangerous here. I just know it.

I wonder briefly if with an Electro Shocker MegaKabuterimon could open a hole in the wall big enough for them to fit and follow us inside, and then shrug my fears off, labelling them as childish. Shaking my head, I take a deep breath and quietly open the door. Koushiro is here, sitting in the middle of a flower patch, fumbling with his laptop. Light crawls in from the hollows in the ceiling and walls, bathing in golden brilliance the pale rosy blooms embellishing the cold, hard rock floor. Lush plants cover the walls, wrapped around the looming, dark columns in a gentle and yet unbreakable hug. And despite the large cracks running across them and the walls, the floor seems undamaged. In truth, even if the Temple has been in disrepair for many years, the floor is clear and there aren't dust or spider webs, inside: it seems that the time stopped here

Koushiro seems strangely pleased of the almost perfect condition of this place, but I realize it's because that raises our chances to find what we came here for still intact. As he walks further in, me and Miyako look around, searching for any danger. Miyako catches a glimpse of puppy sized monsters running for the broken doors and her hands flew to the twin daggers secured at her sides. And I immediately reach down for my staff. 

A monster, or a crazy digimon howls somewhere in the ruins, making me flinch. I surely don't want to meet it, whatever it is. Koushiro doesn't hear it, or doesn't care, I don't know, and keeps marching forward, seeming to know exactly where he is going. He stops in front of a wall and runs his fingers over the surface. 

"There's an emergency panel here somewhere," he mutters, poking and prodding the wall. Somewhere behind us, something's making tiny scratching noises. And it's coming closer. I shiver instinctively, and Miyako quickly lets go of one of her weapons and slides her arm around my waist, pulling me close to her.  
"I dunno what you're doin', Koushiro-san." She mutters in a low, throaty growl. "But whatever it is, do it quickly."  
"Please." I agree with a nod, still searching the pale shadows for the source of the noises.   
"Judging on what my laptop says," he mutters as he keeps fingering the wall. "There must be a statue here and not" Koushiro stops, something skitters and scuttles behind us and at the same time the wall moves with a crackly sound and spins around, revealing a magnificent statue of the Guardian of Air.   
Silphymon.

The statue's wonderful, a piece of art some careful or maybe crazy artist spent his life on. Silphymon looks a lot like a human, if it wasn't for his talons-like feet and for the huge, bird tail wavering behind him. I take my time to relish in the beauty of this legendary creature, and as I slowly move my eyes down his body, I notice the ruby shimmering gently on his chest.  
"His anima?!" I shriek, a little too loud it seems, since a monster answers me with a roar. Koushiro nods reverently, bows furrowed in thought.  
"There's a shield, though. I can't take the gem or decipher the inscription if I don't turn it off first."  
"Do it quickly." Miyako orders, "I'll take care of them."  
"Them?" I fear what I could see even before I turn, and when I do, I'm suddenly aware what I've in front of me is ten time worse than what I've been dreading to see. 

Tens of humongous, covered with long reddish brown fur monsters are surging from each and every shadow, whistling lowly. Blackish wings fan around them as their yellow eyes run over us. Their eagle heads dangling back and forth, they move closer, long whip-like tongue flickering out their beaks to snap several feet in front of them.  
"Chimeras" Miyako mutters, and then her voice raises to mock-outrage. "Those ugly bastards don't move in packs!"   
"They do here," I reply, sounding a lot more confident than I'm. Behind me I hear Koushiro snapping the magazine halfway out of his pistol. "Take care of the shield," I order, raising my voice a little.  
"Yeah." Miyako agrees. "A little help from that bird up there would be really appreciated."

I look at the redhead at the corner of my eyes, and nod at him when he slams the clip back into his weapon and -with a nod- resumes working with his laptop. "Are you ready?" I call out to Miyako.  
"I was born ready." She murmurs.   
Koushiro connects his computer with the statue. I grip my staff tighter. Miyako unsheathes her daggers, sending silvery bows of light to scatter the dimness. And the battle begins, the sound of Koushiro's fingers tapping the keys the only cheer we have.

They creatures jump and leap toward us, screeching loudly. Miyako ducks and one of the beasts leaps over her head. Unimpressed, she quickly swirls around and throws it her dagger. The weapon slices through its neck and returns in her hand, almost gracefully. I use my staff on another one as it rushes for Miyako's back, sending it to crash to the ground at her feet. Promptly, I throw a fire orb at the three Chimeras surging from behind Miyako's back, while she takes care of the one squirming at her feet. More Chimeras come thought, a seemingly endless stream of hellish creatures seems to be born from the darkness itself, ravenous and mad. Too much too much 

Soon, me and Miya are forced to retreat under the force of their attacks, remains of burnt, frozen and electrified rocks lay, scattered, all around us, as reminiscences of our elemental attacks. One Chimera gives Miyako one blow to the stomach, throwing her back a foot. She reels, clutching her right hand, the dagger that belonged there laying, bloody and cracked on a corner, long forgotten. 

We're quickly running out of Orbs, and in truth, the healing one I'm using right now is my last one. A greenish, soft light erupts from my hands, clasped together above my head. It slowly swirls around me and then streams, gently, toward Miyako, engulfing her body in a soft glow. I pray until the last moment for a newborn orb to appear in my hand, but when the greyish smoke sliding through my fingers disappears, it's clear mine was just wishful thinking. I grimace, falling out of breath on my knees as I cast my last healing spell on Miyako. My lavender haired companion leaps up to her feet, renewed in strength and will, slicing three monsters with a single attack.  
We won't lose. We're not going to. No. Even if my body will turn to ash, I'll win. I have to.

* * * * *

That's no good.

Miyako and my attacks barely deal any damage at all, and for each monster we manage to knock unconscious on the ground, ten new nightmares leap up from the shadows, hungry for battle. As I dodge yet another attack - something that's becoming more and more difficult with each second that passes- another Chimera falls on its knees under Miyako's attack, but she too -tired- falls beside it, breathing heavily. New monsters approach her, and with a huff she leaps to her feet, grimacing in exhaustion. I try to reach out to her I really do but my hand's too heavy even my lids are My lungs burn I'm tired I want to sleep. Taichi Taichi I'm sorry you told me, but I I can't even think right now. I'm sorry. We've been fighting for hours, but they're endless. Hell keeps throwing them out at us even as I slowly sink down, curling in a lethargic ball. Everything is enfolded into a sickening blurred shade. I'm tired I want to sleep Taichi Dai Miyako

I look up, noticing Gatomon and Aquillamon sitting quietly in a corner, as if waiting. I wonder for a moment when and why Nefertimon wore off her armour, and what are they doing here, but then I'm once again losing my battle against sleep. Out of the corner of my eyes, they're waiting. But I'm tired. Miyako's fighting but I can't I'm tired I can't go on maybe if I die and go to Heaven I'll see mom and dad again? Maybe Miyako will reach me, pick me up and spin me around, telling me over and over that she loves me? Maybe maybe Yamato's there, too. Maybe I'll get to see him again, and I'll ask him where he's been. Or maybe he won't be there, and I'll be able to look after him and Takeru and Daisuke, Taichi from there. 

I'm tired something red and wet is pooling at my side, and I gently lay down, looking up at the brilliance that spreads inside the room. Koushiro Koushiro's still typing. And once in a while his pistols cry out in anger, trying desperately to help us.   
I'm so tired

Miyako's fighting. I can see her dancing across the room like Dai but thousand times more beautiful to me. I love her. I didn't tell her. What a pity. Miyako, I love you. I don't mind if you can't hear me. I have to tell you. I love you. My Miyako

And Gatomon's waiting. Her blue eyes are calling out for me. She's waiting. She's needing. She's   
I'm tired  
Miyako

The world becomes a dark void as I slip my eyes shut Miya I'm tired let me sleep let me  
"HIKARI!" I'm suddenly swung up and held carefully against something warm something I find to be Miyako's body as I open my eyes groggily.  
"I'm tired" I whisper, looking at the wounds flawing her cheeks and chest. "Let me sleep" She must be sick herself but she grips firmly at my wrist.   
"No!" She says it so resolutely... "Hika, don't give up" She adds softly, moving few locks of brown from my face. "I've always admired that in you that you always hanged on so brave and strong my Hikari" Miya your face blurs as you talk let me sleep. When I'll wake up, we'll go back home. I promise. Just le me sleep. Let me sleep forever, endless sleep.

"It's you who keeps me going, Hika without you I'm nothing no one." She pauses, shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes. It's heart-wrenching but my heart I fail to feel it beat in my chest. It's nothing but a faint noise right now rhythmical thump-thump distant thump-thump distant  
"Hold on. Please. Hold on. Without you, I couldn't go on"" I cry. How can she say such things? I'm the one that depends on her I try to say her name, but I just watch, numbly, as she reach inside her jacket for a healing Orb. 

Her last Orb no I cannot allow her to do that. She pulls me to her, but I resist, trying to escape the soft glow generating form the gem. Miyako's too drained wounded to go on fighting without that last Orb. It think she's too tired to even cast the spell and survive.  
"No" I croak, and she tightens her grip.   
"Hikari one of us has to make it." No no, no, no! NO! I cannot let you do that to me! What right do you have to give your life to save mine? Save yourself... please please  
She moves to hold onto me, burying her face in my hair. Please Miya, just keep holding me. Let me sleep and hold me while I do. Please 

She moves away, kissing me hungrily but her kiss tastes as goodbye. And then I feel it. The energy flowing inside me like warm water. Her life offered for mine. She's doing it, she's----  
"Hikari" she murmurs against my lips. "I love you."

In a flash, I open my eyes, seeing everything and nothing at the same time, the world crumpling down around us. Miyako kissing me and Gatomon, behind her, waiting and Koushiro, at my side, fighting and Silphymon looking at us no waiting for us for me Before the spell's completed, I grip onto Miyako, returning her kiss with a force of my own.  
"I love you Miyako! I love you I love you"

And Gatomon suddenly stops waiting, smiling at me. A light permeates her, coming from nowhere and every direction at once. Koushiro's laptop's glowing the shield fades and Aquillamon and Gatomon begin glowing intermittently, the light engulfing them turning brighter and brighter with each second that passes. And above all, Siplhymon's anima's red light spills across the room, blinding and unstoppable. With one last smile, Gatomon nods at me, the same way she does when I scratch her behind her ear, a look of pure happiness on her face.  
"Hikari" She whispers, and then she disappears, swallowed into the light that then ascends toward the ceiling in a spiralling column, electric sparkles dancing around it. 

Aquillamon too disappears in a similar way and then the twin pillars of light intertwine and bound, falling down to meet Siplhymon's Anima and when they finally meet, a holy white light showers down on us, fragments of sun spiralling toward the ground. 

The room starts shaking, collapsing, destroying itself from within as reality itself starts to crumble. In the middle of the unreal light, generating and absorbing it, Selphymon's statue's begins letting out a soft, cracking sound. Ruptures appearing in his stone skin, the noise escalates quickly into something that resembles a human scream, the red of his eyes burning incandescent behind the visor. The energy within the statue rips through the little shred it itself has created, exploding out of his cage of marble.

I squint my eyes as the light intensifies even more, and when I finally reopen them, my wounds are disappeared, my clothes are intact and unspotted and Miyako too seems renewed, her arms strong around my shaking frame. I look around, expecting to find the Chimeras trying to leap at us, but to my surprise, they're not around. And if it wasn't for the glowing eyes looking at us from the shadows, it could seem like they have never been. Koushiro's on the floor, agape, staring up at something. Something that floats in the hair, generating rosy, holy light. I slowly raise my eyes to it and I find Gatomon's smile on the pale, half hidden face of the Guardianmon.

"Hikari. Miyako." He she they said, his voice sounding like Gatomon and Aquillamon's melted in a single tune. "Your quest is over let's go home."  
"Gatomon?" I ask, shocked. She =he= nods, reaching out to help me to my feet. Then, he moves to help Miyako up, chuckling at her shocked expression.   
"A-Aquillamon?" Again, Silphymon nods, turning around to check if Koushiro can move and finding him gawking up at him few steps behind his back.   
"But but how?" I shake my head, honestly confused, reaching out to grasp Miyako's hand in mine.

"Me us, Gatomon and Aquillamon, were one once, before the war of One Thousand Year. Then, that sad day, when Kariul's human form attacked me and my brothers Guardianmon, we've been separated, our mind and heart split in two pieces that have kept calling out to each other until we finally meet, in Aria. We were at last complete, and yet we weren't, still needing to find our Anima to be one again. Whole again." He reaches down to slid a finger across my cheek, then lowers it to my and Miyako's intertwined hands, and when he slides it back up, it rests in Miyako's hair, softly. "Sincere and loving hearts summoned me." He explains. "And I came. Guided by their light I reborn, now and here, to stand against Kariul."  
"The Deity of Darkness," I whisper. "Kariul, split you in two bodies?" Selphymon nods, lowering his eyes to the ground.   
"And did the same to my brothers. Imperialdramon, Omnimon, Shakkoumon. All of them. I felt their screams in my head as their minds were being shattered, their hearts torn. And I could do nothing but echo their screams."  
"But" I grip Miyako's hand tighter, feeling her squeeze mine in return. "You've us now."  
"I know." He replies and then looks away, turning toward the sky eyes I know to be as blue as sapphires behind his visor. Just like Gatomon's. "I'm here thanks to you for you and I'll always be."

We did it. Taichi, Takeru, Dai Yamato. We did it.  
"Miyako?"  
"Hm?"  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."

**~*~ Takeru's POV~*~**

  
Jyou sighs in frustration and rubs his face harshly with both of his hands, letting out a small moan as he slides his fingers through his marine hair.  
"That's =stressing=" he whines, carefully erasing his notes with his pencil and then deciding against it, crumbling the whole page in a heap and tossing it into the fire. "This symbol represents Mind. This other one stands for Action. This other one"  
I huff, my distressed sigh turning immediately into a tired yawn, a hot wetness appearing at the corner of my eye.  
"this one means Trustworthy and this other one Presence. Linked together"  
"Oh my" I lower my hat to my face, squeezing my eyes shut. 

Megillah Desert is just =boring=. And endless field of nothing. No monsters, no plants, no life, NOTHING. No, wait. There's something here. The boredom. And the heath The temperature is terribly high during the day, with a killer sun that tries to squash your head and have a snack with the insides of your brain-pan, while you're left to freeze to death when night comes. And Jyou's grumbling doesn't help. Wonderful. JUST wonderful.

I sound just like Dai. I think lack of water has on me effects even more dreadful than I could think of. And I'm talking with myself, too. Amusing. Riiiiight   
"I just don't get it!" Jyou explodes, and from the other side of the camp Iori sighs, and slowly raises to his feet, walking toward Armadillomon, that's slumped in a corner, snoring soundly. I think it had been harder than he let us know to take us all here on his back under such weather. 

Iori goes to him and lays his head back on the little cushions and covers his armoured body with two of the remaining blankets. His and Armadillomon's. With a nod, I signal him to take mine, too, and when he smiles gratefully up at me, I can't help but grin at the sweet red that colours his cheeks. Still blushing, he takes the last blanket from our bags and puts it over his digimon's body, careful not to wake him, but he doesn't react, instead snoring louder and burrowing under the covers, making Iori smile sweetly. How cute. He looks good with that smile, especially while blushing like that. Involuntarily, I reach out to him, despite the distance, when a distressed yell snaps me back to terra firma. 

"What could a Trustworthy Presence be?!"  
"For the Guardian, Jyou!" I shriek, laying down on the flat rock I've been sitting upon. "RELIABILITY!" He pauses, a strange silence following my statement.  
"Oh right!" he scribbles something on that notebook of his, and I smile, picturing the satisfied expression on his face. Even though Jyou is the most reliable and intelligent guy I know, traducing that inscription is turning out more difficult that we thought. "Ehm Takeru?"  
"What?" I say, flatly, my frown back to its righteous place on my face.  
"Ehm Carefree Optimism?"  
"JYOU!"  
"Doesn't fit!"  
"HOPE, dammit!"  
"Right!" He chuckles, turning back down to his studies. My Goddess why us?! Why had we to stumble across an half erased inscription that's written in a language ways older than the one we use to call 'ancient', and that we barely understand?! Not mentioning that whatever is written in that inscription is coded Well, at least we're with Jyou. If it was for me, I would look at that inscription and see just a long sequences of pretty icons. 

With a sigh, I open my eyes to the enchanting sight that's the starlit sky, so deep and dark and yet soft, in its lonely shade of blue. Just like Yamato's eyes. I block the sight out, closing my eyes with a mute sigh. Yamato I wish you were here. You always have the solution for everything, I always get the feeling that you know more than you should, since you always solve all the problems with incredible ease. How come I can never do that? You were are so honest. Even the day you left, telling me you were going to stop your happiness from causing pain, I'm sure that, even if I didn't understand what you meant and still don't, you were being honest with me. Trying to let me take a peek into thoughts and things that weren't thought for my young eyes to see. Yamato

"Are you okay?" I crack one eye open, looking into sparkling green eyes in a face framed by saggy brown hair.  
"Yup." I reply, sitting up and shifting away to give Iori room. He makes himself comfortable on the rock, just few inches at my left. "Something on your mind?" He inquires, yet his voice holds this almost rueful politeness. In a way, I think it's almost my duty to tell him. But I'm not really sure why. There is something about his eyes

I shake my head, and when he raises an eyebrow, I know my answer didn't seem quite honest. Maybe because it wasn't.  
"Just tired." I assure, and then cough to clear my throat, his tiny hand immediately placed on my back for help. "I think the sun's fried my brain, my stomach feels like something alive is moving inside it and yet is so empty I could eat your Armadimon." Iori chuckles briefly at that.  
"It would be a terribly amusing display."  
"What, watching my brain being cooked or watching me eating your digimon?" I poke him friendly. Clipping his chin, Iori burrows his eyebrows in a look of thought.  
"Uhm I was referring to the latter, but I admit both would make quite an interesting sight." I chuckle at that, hearing his laughter mix with mine few seconds later.

We both lay back down on the rock, letting the heat it emanates penetrates our clothes and bodies.  
"I love to watch stars." I whisper, suddenly. Iori nods, his body even too stiff, and rearranges his weight, sliding closer to me in the process. He mumbles a quick apology, and I gesture at him to let it go, focusing on the stars.  
"I like them too." He eventually whispers, voice awed. "I loved to watch starts with my Grandfather when I was littler. Now, I've barely time to stay with him. We've been always together, and drifting far from him is painful, even if it's just for few, little details, like childish games." I nod, knowingly and sadly at the same time.  
"I know. I miss the time I spent with Matt, too." I gasp quietly, wondering if that sad, wavering whisper was really my voice or just a faked imitation. 

//Why did I bring that up?// I wonder mutely, rolling onto a side and curling slightly. Taking a deep breath, I swallow down the bittersweet rush of nostalgia in the back of my throat. I don't want to break down. Not here in the open. Not without Dai, Pegasosmon, Tai or Kari to hold to. Yamato where are you? I miss you I miss you so much why did you have to leave me?! What's this happiness you could reach only without us in a land that isn't yours without me?

"Takeru." Iori sits up slightly, and reaches down to cup his hand around my shoulder. His touch is warm comforting, despite being nothing more than a faint brush. I sniffle, but refuse to turn around, still battling my tears. There's the sound of Jyou's scribbling, and the rustling sound of Iori's hand running over my shirt, and then both stop and there's silence. I want to look up and see the kind expression on Iori's face, but I'm frozen. "Takeru" he whispers again, his touch gently firm. I turn my head away from him, not wanting Iori to see my wall of calm finally crumbling down. 

"I won't ask you to tell me anything," He says, and there's something in his voice that makes it sweet and concerned and serious at once. The bloom of pain in my chest withers and dies away at the sound, making my eyes sprung wide. I turn on my back, my face burning, and smile tentatively when his face becomes parallel to mine. "Just know I'm here for you, and if you'll ever need me, I'll always be." He's smiling and serious at the same time, something wavering inside his eyes.

Some of my blush has spread over Iori's cheeks it seems, since now they're of this delicious tone of pink. He keeps smiling, and I'm half aware of my movements as I slowly prop myself up to my elbows. He's leaning toward me too, slowly, and I get caught in his eyes. He has emerald eyes, you know? So beautiful they seem jewels We keep inching forward and forward, as if some magnetic force is making us to, but even if that was it, I doubt I'd try to break free. I think I'd be still leaning forward, closing slowly my eyes.

Behind us, Jyou leaps to his feet with a cheerful shriek. 

"YATTA!" Both me and Iori jump away, laying rather roughly on our back, yelping and -for my part- blushing like crazy. It's not like I'm looking up to check if he's blushing too  
"Takeru? Iori?" I hear Jyou calling over the sound of my thumping heart. He sounds excited little a little kid that has just seen something terribly amusing, like his first bug, or that has just flied his first kite, but I just can't stop a sigh.  
"What?"  
"Knowledge's power resides in the mind, leaking out in droplets of shiny confidence. Reliability's power is born in the actions, spreading its glorious mark in waves. Hope's power is in the heart, for it's steady rhythm of warm affection. Don't be scared then, to join mind, body and heart's powers to fulfil dreams, for that's the basic of human nature. Harmony in its purest essence." 

I widen my eyes, rolling around and nearly falling on top of Iori in the process. "WHAT?!" I choke out at last, not daring to hope, and below me Iori tilts his head, agape, searching for words. Jyou rubs the back of his head, an unconscious gesture and yet a sign of innate insecurity I immediately try to melt away with a grin.  
"Oh, well that's the first part of the inscription, I think. It should hint to the two digimon we're searching, but I still have only one name"  
"Only one?!" I scream, and Iori fidgets, my yell clearly too high pitched for his hears. "Jyou is wonderful! You ALREADY found one! That's fabulous!" Jyou grins, dark eyes gleaming with amusing mischief.  
"Won't you ask me who the digimon is?"  
"Uhm?" I blink, taken aback, but Iori promptly pushes me away and raises himself to his knees, over excited like a little child.  
"Who? Who is it Jyou-sama?!" Jyou offers a laugh at that, waving his hands dismissively at Iori's polite informality. Then, he turns partly around, raising a finger to a heap of grey blankets snoring in front of the fire. I can only blink, and Iori's surprise isn't far from mine. Maybe he's even more shocked.

"Armadillomon?" He asks, cautious voice wavering.  
"Ankilomon." Jyou corrects. I look down at Iori with a grin, and he suddenly throws himself against me, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face against my chest with a swoop of joy. Surprised, I stagger and put my arms around him, partly out of natural reaction, partly to steady us both, partly because it feels oddly right. With another cry of joy, Iori holds onto me tighter and I find myself drawing him closer, even if I've to quit when he stiffs.

Again, Jyou speaks, and again we jump apart, eyes wide.  
"W-What?" I call, turning slightly toward Jyou but not moving my eyes from Iori's.  
"This isn't good, boys." He mumbles darkly. "The second digimon is Angemon."  
"Well?" Iori blinks, tipping his head to one side extremely cutely err I mean, slowly.  
"I never heard about that kind of digimon before." I admit, turning around to face Jyou as he raises to his feet.  
"I have." Jyou nods, strolling toward the two of us and sitting before the fire, rubbing his hands in front of the dancing flames.  
"and?" I urge slowly.  
"they're extinct. The last one died centuries ago."

**~*~ Dai's POV~*~**

  
Ken brushes back his unruly hair with his hand and looks down at Wormmon sleeping peacefully in his lap. My Prince stifles a yawn, unconsciously leaning against me not to fall off Pegasosmon's back. I tilt my head slightly, looking at him rubbing his eyes groggily, moving his cheek against my back like a puppy. I can't stop the stupid grin that tugs at my lips, and face forward, closing my eyes in bliss.

I'm flying on Pegasosmon's back. Clouds are our earth and our sky, the wind our travel companion. I've Ken snuggling against me, jewel eyes closed peacefully. And Wormmon's sleeping quietly in his arms, as if giving us his silent approbation. He's like Ken's bodyguard, I think. And it makes me proud that he had enough faith in me to want me to comfort Ken in that clearing, when he always eyes suspiciously whoever tries to touch the prince.

Still grinning like a damned fool, I pat my digimon's neck, gesturing at him to land. Ken's head moves from my shoulder as Pegasosmon's feet touch the green pavement of Aegis forest, and then lays back on its previous position, a yawn chorusing the movement. Ken rubs his face against my shoulder, and I feel thingy all over. Wow I don't know why it is so cool to be around Ken, but I hope nothing will ever separate us.

"We'll spend the night here," I whisper to him, and he rubs his face against my back again, yet another yawn escaping him to warm and tickle me.  
"Too tired" he mutters, and his arm tightens around my waist. "Want to sleep" I chuckle, feeling my face heat up. I don't know why this happens, but in the long run it isn't a displeasing sensation   
"I don't think it would be comfortable to sleep sprawled across my back, you know?" I feel Ken stiff and I chuckle again when he jumps away from me, cheeks tinged in red. I've seen a lot of people get their cheeks changing colour while looking at me, and I've always wondered why.  
"Oh ah err y-you're right." He murmurs, holding onto Wormmon for dear life as he slides down Pegasosmon's back.

I follow him with a snigger, and Pegasosmon immediately kneels down, ocean eyes silently asking me permission to have a rest.  
"Go on, dude." I reassure with a grin. "You can rest, now." I pat his muzzle affectionately, and he leans into my touch before laying his head on the ground with a yawn. I turn toward Ken with a grin, and find him shivering as he looks at the shimmering surface of the little lake that lays in front of us.  
"What about the monsters?" he asks, concern tingeing his voice as he slowly tips his head to one side to look at me. "They're sure to come out at night."  
"Oh, leave them to me." I reply with a shrug, reaching out for our bags. "That's only a forest, you know? Nothing worrying That's fun, though! I can't believe you're scared of such a silly thing, Ichijouji!! What a chicken!" I chuckle.  
"Oh." He whispers, heartbroken, and I suddenly wish I'd bitten my tongue over that one. 

Nothing for Ken is "only" something. He has been confined in that tower for years, and I doubt he's ever been allowed to see the world outside his Palace. Everything for him is new, fascinating and more than anything, scary as hell. With a sigh, I lower our bags on the floor, a beaten puppy expression on my face. Ken casts me a quick glance, and blinks at my funny look.  
"Sowwy. Dai's been a ba' boy an' hult Kecchan." I mutter sheepishly, putting up my best I'm_adorable_you_know_you_love_me look. He immediately begins giggling, covering his mouth with one hand. Cool! It worked! I'll have to thank Hikari and Takeru for teaching this trick to me, sooner or later 

Forgot the sheepishness, I pat my chest proudly, grinning widely. "Don't worry, Ken! Dai's here to protect you!" I don't know if it's because I said the wrong thing or just got lucky enough to say the perfect one, but Ken's cheeks turn red again and he nods, hiding his face in Wormmon's back.  
"I know" he mutters slowly, and I've the impression he didn't really want me to hear that. I did, though and that damn sensation of my skin being on fire is back. Okay, okay it IS nice, but why the hell does it happen?! Ehm forgive the question is that bulge in my pants supposed to be there? Err just checking.

As I hurry setting up the camp, trying to stare at him and not to at the same time, Ken gracefully lowers himself on the silvery grass of the riverside, and Wormmon finds a resting place in a corner, curling under a tree. I fish in our bags two canned drinks and some dried meat, already missing Hikari's cooking. Damn, she might burn whatever she cooks half of the time, but I'll surely miss the delicacy she makes me when she'll be married. Little Hikari married in two months I still can't believe it. After the Emperor built his Orbs Factories and began attacking us madly, no one has had time for romance, and Tai and all the older kids are the living proof. 

With a sigh, I turn back toward Ken, banishing thoughts of romance from my head. He looks half asleep.  
"We can't light up a fire," I tell him, sitting down between his spread legs and putting a hand on his cheek to wake him up a little. "Lighting up a fire in the middle of the dark is like telling any tough guy 'Here we are, please kill us!'" He nods, accepting the food gratefully and taking it slowly to his mouth.  
"It's not like it will be dark for long, anyway."  
"Yup." I shrug, moving away from him to spread my blanket beside him and crash down. "Sorry, 'bout that. We marched for almost all night" I say sincerely, glancing at the drowsy prince as he lays off his cloak and also uses it as a blanket to wrap himself in. I lay his head on my jacket, carefully folded to work as a pillow, put his feet out of the wet grass and on his cloak. It's not like he'd yell at me, having it already gotten grass stains all over. I cover him with two of the remaining blankets, and when he doesn't react I don't know if it's just because he's fast asleep or because he doesn't mind my touch, knowing all too well I'm only trying to help. I turn back toward the lake with a sigh, thoughtlessly playing with a piece of grass.

I've always thought the moments just before dawn were the saddest. When the sky is still trying to decide which colour's better, if a lonely, deep blue or a informal grey. When time itself seems to hold still for what feels like an eternity, but at the same time a mere instant, and you're not absolutely certain you're awake. But this dawn these hours are the most happy I can remember. Ken's with me and isn't disgusted. The sky's clear, the water whispers a sweet lullaby to both of us and I can forget till daybreak about war.

Involuntarily, I reach out to move his hair from his face and catch myself just in time. His eyes flutter open though, and move over my chest and up to my face, cloudy with sleepiness. I smile at him, gently, and he closes his eyes again only to snap them open and sit up with a start when a monster calls out somewhere in the near distance.  
"Fuck." I mumble, bolting on seated position, fists ready at my side.   
"What was that?" Ken whispers, voice tinged with fear.  
"If we're lucky, a bystander." The roars creeps closer almost too quickly and again I find myself cursing lowly. "Guess we're not." The roar comes again, much louder and closer. Ken wraps his cloak around his shoulders, shivering. "I'm here." I assure, trying to sound as much confident as possible, my hand flying to the handle of my dagger. 

The roar fills the air again, and Ken crawls closer, wide eyes scanning our surroundings. Soon enough the roars establish a regular rhythm, sounding like a low, menacing drum. Ken nuzzles closer to me, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face against my chest. Surprised, I put my arms around him, pressing him closer to me. I found myself stroking his hair and force myself to quit, not wanting to add more distress to the fear he's surely feeling right now. Whatever it's out there is big and hungry, and we've just few orbs, one dagger and two dead beat digimon as protection. I hope we won't be forced into something drastic. 

The next scream's followed by a loud crash and even in the thick shadows I can clearly see the trees crumple down few thousands of metres at our right. Whatitis lets out another scream, louder, more threatening, and more than all, closer. Its claws scarf the ground, its tail drags on across the field. I hold Ken closer, gritting my teeth at the darkness. Please, let it be something I can handle with my dagger. Please, please, please I don't want to fight to put Ken in danger to have him see me kill to have him see me fight I grip him even tighter and this time he looks up, concerned and scared.  
"Motomiya?" I look down at him and I know I did the wrong move. His eyes inches from mine. His lips inches from mine his breath mingling with mine and I can't seem to look away. "Motomiya?" again he tries, and again I find myself fascinated by the way my name slides out his lips. The way they vibrate pleasurably when he whispers it. 

"Motomiya!" He tries again, eyes squinted in fear. I snap out of it somehow, gently pulling him away.  
"Stay here." I say confidently as I move to my feet and step forward, drawing out my dagger. And what exits from the darkened bushes, claws raised, fangs bared and eyes glowing is something I thought I'd have never seen. It's one of the digimon from the legends. One of those they told us was extinct. One that's trying to kill me. I dodge his first attack and let him taste one of my own, but my generosity gets wasted when the enormous dragon dodges my blade with surprising agility and leaps into the air, sustained by creamy wings.  
"Ex-Veemon" I mutter, swinging my weapon in a wide arc. Finally a worthy opponent. This is going to be fun watch me Ken. Humph just watch me fight.

**~*~ End of chapter 05~*~**

**  
*looks around* Uuh want explanation about Dai's behaviour? Ask them! *jerks thumb to point muses lazily laying on their back behind her* 'cuz I've no idea. Not exactly I mean, I have but err okay let's drop this. -_-;; Questions? Comments? Constructive Criticism? Write a review! =D Flames? I was high on chocolate when I wrote this, so every denigration must go to Nutella s.p.a. ^^;; *points***


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